Swipe
by SecondLevelWriter
Summary: A new kid in town, possessing superspeed and a penchant for kleptomania, attracts the attention of the Titans and Slade. Amidst the struggle to recruit him, he discovers that there are some things more important than stealing or fighting. [OC, a bit AU]
1. Formal Introductions

"Swipe" by Ed Alger aka "SecondLevelWriter"

**TEEN TITANS** (c) Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. **TEEN TITANS** and all related characters and elements are trademarks of DC Comics. All Rights Reserved.

Brand names, like Wheaties or Nike or Reebok or whatever, are trademarks of their respective companies. Think of it as free advertising. :) Also, references to Dungeons and Dragons are property of Wizards of the Coast.

Timeline: This story takes place after "Winner Take All" but just before "Betrayal". Later parts will occur around "Deception" and "Wavelength."

Chapter 1 : Formal Introductions

The streets of Jump City are always quiet around midnight, with the only disturbances being committed by the stray animals that prowl the alleys. However, one of them is neither a dog nor a cat.

Keeping to the shadows, the prowler carefully approached the front door of Senator Goodson's mansion. A quick appraisal of the lock showed that no amount of picking could possibly get it open. The sudden approach of a car practically dispelled the shadow, sending him back to the alley in the blink of an eye. After poking his head out to ensure the coast has cleared, he returns to his work; carefully examining each window for some flaw, until he finds a kitchen window with a slightly loose pane of glass. Digging into his utility belt, he fishes out a suction cup and a small cutting tool to work the glass free of its frame. As he works, he begins muttering to himself, perhaps as a way to maintain his concentration.

"And the level 3 rogue makes his Open Lock check... he has a plus-ten to this roll..."

Or perhaps he's just plain crazy.

Anyway, the glass pops out, and the burglar reaches in to easily unlock and open the window. After carefully and silently crawling inside and replacing the glass in its frame, he looks over the room while gleefully rubbing his hands together. He makes his way to his first target, which is neither a safe or jewelry stash, but the refrigerator. With a Grinch-like sense of precision, he swiftly cleans out over three-quarters of its contents and feasts.

His stomach sated, the intruder takes a pan of leftover meatloaf and a half-full bottle of soda (declaring it "for the road") and leaves the mansion the same way he entered. Just as he emerges from the alleyway, his visions of an early lunch are interrupted by the sight of a familiar quintet of superheroes: the Teen Titans. Now it begins...

"Snacktime's over for you, pal," Robin informed the perpetrator.

"Efcuzz me, buh muh nehzz Fifph!" he answered back, his mouth still stuffed with a corndog.

"What?"

"He said 'Excuse me, but my name's Swipe,'" Beast Boy translated, earning strange looks from his teammates. "What? What'd I say?"

"Only you could have figured that out," Raven said in her usual dry tone.

The would-be thief finished his mouthful of corndog and spit out the remaining stump before stepping out of the shadows. He is a scruffy young man, probably about 14 or 15 years old, with short, unkempt black hair and shifty brown eyes. A ratty black t-shirt covers his thin frame, and a small utility belt holds up slightly frayed denim shorts. His worn-out sneakers suggest that he is quite active in what he does.

"So, you are the one behind the other burglaries," Starfire remarked as the rogue emerged. Swipe smiled proudly at what he considered a great compliment.

"But you sure have some weird tastes. Everything that's been reported stolen has been food, odds and ends, gadgets... There've even been reports of someone rooting through the dumpsters behind the mall after dark," Cyborg added, which made the thief's smile diminish considerably.

"Hey now! I'll have you know I stole somethin' very valuable the day before yesterday!" he protested.

"That's true," Robin conceded, "but we also heard a report that the North Star sapphire had later been donated to a local charity."

"So? I was feeling generous that night," Swipe retorted while beginning to fidget. He was prone to doing that when he had to stay still for a certain amount of time. The leader of the Titans noticed this, and grinned to himself in anticipation. Not getting any response, the rogue continued, "Hey, look, if you're gonna bust me for helping myself to the 'good' senator's potato salad at twelve o'clock at night, then I'm afraid you're gonna have to catch me first. Now, if you'll excuse me..."

Before anyone could so much as blink, Swipe was already gone - racing down the street at an unbelievable speed. While Beast Boy gave an impressed whistle, Robin instead issued his trademark command.

"Titans, GO!"

Raven and Starfire immediately took to the air while Beast Boy shifted into cheetah form to take up the chase on land. Cyborg called the T-Car in from a nearby sidestreet, and climbed into the driver's seat with Robin riding shotgun. Once they were on the road, Robin activated the communicator.

"Remember, we're not really going to capture him. We just want to see how good he is."

"From the looks of it, I'd say he's pretty good," Raven answered as a sudden sizzle from her dark shield rattled their eardrums. "We're going as fast as we can, and he's still keeping a good lead on us.."

"And he is THROWING things at us!" Starfire interjected, accompanied by the sound of starbolts blasting metal.

Robin and Cyborg each quirked an eyebrow.

"What kinda things?" the cybernetic Titan asked after a beat.

"They look like knives," Raven replied just as three more deflections were registered. "_Dull_ knives."

The two Titans exchanged confused looks. "Dull knives?"

"Think he knows we don't plan on bustin' him?" Cyborg inquired.

"Maybe. Or else he doesn't want to seriously hurt them," Robin answered as he turned back to the comm. "Beast Boy, how're you holding up?"

The sight of an extremely winded green cheetah told him more than enough. Beast Boy reverted to his humanoid form so he could give his report.

"Dude... he's just... just too _fast_..." he said between pants.

Just as he had spoken those words, a black and blue streak shot past him. The event would instantly renew the green Titan's determination.

"THERE HE IS! I'M GOIN' AFTER HIM!"

The shapeshifter took on the form of a hummingbird, and the chase was on once again. It wouldn't take long for Swipe to realize he had a follower, and he flung a trio of blunted knives as a deterrant. All attacks missed, thanks to Beast Boy's diminuitive form. The rogue then tried some evasive maneuvers, zigzagging through alleys and sidestreets in an effort to lose his pursuer. Unfortunately for him, hummingbirds can turn on a dime.

As he raced into another alley, he saw a wooden fence blocking the way through. Beast Boy also noticed this and decided to switch back to being a cheetah to press his advantage. The shapeshifter's momentum wouldn't last long, however, as Swipe threw five of his sharpened knives into the fence to form a makeshift ladder. The thief easily scrambled over the obstacle. Cheetah-morphed Beast Boy, however, crashed headfirst into the fence.

Again reverting to humanoid form, the green Titan fumbled for his communicator, "Never mind, you guys..."

At that point, Starfire suddenly cut in, "I have visualization! I am in pursuit!"

"I think you mean 'visual confirmation'," Swipe corrected her, still running at breakneck speed.

"Oh.. right. I, uh, thank you for telling me the proper term."

"No problem," the thief replied as he took a sharp left turn. Starfire remained in hot pursuit.

"In appreciation, I would like to offer you the chance to surrender right now so that I do not have to fight you."

"Sorry, Sweetcheeks, but you heard what I said. You've gotta catch me first!"

"My name is not 'Sweetcheeks'! It is Starfire!"

"Starfire, eh? Nice to meet you! Name's Swipe, but you knew that already," he replied with a grin.

"Er... it is nice, um... to meet you as well, Swipe... although you _are_ still a thief." Starfire answered, with a sizeable amount of confusion in her voice. The last part seemed to be added as a self-reminder.

"I prefer the term 'rogue'," he retorted as he hurdled a line of trash cans, "so how'd you get your name?"

"Um, actually," the Titan girl replied as she dodged to the right of a lamppost, although the subject would have been better, "Starfire is the... Earth translation of my name on Tamaran. It is... ah... difficult to pronounce in my native language."

"Tamaran? What, is that some kinda country in Europe?"

"No, no, no! It is a distant planet! Only a few hundred light-years from here!"

"Did you just say 'planet'...?"

Robin's fairly annoyed voice crackled over the comm to cut the conversation short, "Are you gonna try catch this guy or tell him your life story?"

"I apologize, Robin," Starfire replied, blushing slightly from embarrassment, "but Swipe seems like such a nice person..."

"I'm sure he is, but we'll get to know him later, okay?"

"Understood.. Starfire out," the Tamaranean said dejectedly.

"Chat time's over, huh?" Swipe remarked over his shoulder, still maintaining his pace.

"Yes..."

"Alrighty then. Hit me with yer best shot!"

"But..."

"Hey, it's okay! You gotta do your job, right?"

"I suppose you are correct. Very well, then."

Swipe tensed himself for the impending attacks, but they never came. He slowed his pace slightly and checked over his shoulder. Starfire was still following him, and her arms were raised in her attack position, but the expression on her face told it all.

"I -- I am sorry. I cannot summon the strength to battle you."

The rogue screeched to a halt and turned to face his former pursuer, "You're kidding." The Titan shook her head sadly. "Would it help if I called you 'Sweetcheeks' again?"

"No.. That nickname does not really bother me that much."

Swipe scratched the back of his head, "Well, I certainly wasn't expecting this..."

"_Azarath... Metrion... ZINTHOS!_"

The thief had barely enough time to dodge the magically animated newspaper bundles that were aimed right for his cranium.

"Wasn't expecting _that_ either..."

When Swipe glanced behind him, he saw Raven standing about 50 feet away, raising up some more ammunition with her shadow magic. Rather than allow her the initiative, the rogue attempted to dash past her. Just as he took three steps forward, a sudden blast from behind him took him by surprise yet again and sent him flying rather than running. It also put him on a collision course with the cloaked Titan, who had only recently become aware of the situation.

The impact sent both of them tumbling into a newsstand, where they laid in a dazed heap for what seemed like hours. At last, Raven regained her senses and came to the realization that she was pinned by an unconscious rogue.

"You can get off me any time now," she muttered, nudging Swipe with a trapped elbow.

As the rogue came to, his eyes focused on two rather annoyed violet eyes glaring back at him. As sudden understanding hit him, his eyes flew wide open and he was back on his feet instantly with a good shade of red of his face. Although he offered his hand to help the sorceress up, Raven instead chose to get to her feet on her own.

"Sorry about that," both Swipe and Cyborg apologized.

It quickly occurred to the thief that he was now surrounded. In a brief moment of wide-eyed panic, Swipe found a gap between Robin and Beast Boy and raced for his freedom before the Titans caught on themselves. After a beat, Beast Boy was the first to speak.

"And there he goes... So," he looked to his leader. "Mission accomplished?"

Robin grinned, "I'd say so."

"Really, I'm sorry about what happened, Raven," Cyborg once again apologized, "I didn't think he was gonna take off like that."

Raven shrugged it off, "It's okay. I'll live."

"We may as well head back home. Swipe could be on the other side of the city by now." Robin said before heading back to the T-Car. Beast Boy was right behind him, now too exhausted to do any more running or flying. Naturally, Cyborg did the driving.

As they returned to Titan Tower, Raven commented to Starfire, "You may be right. He doesn't seem like such a bad guy after all."

The Tamaranean was treated to the rare sight of Raven's smile.

_End of Chapter 1_

_**In Chapter 2:** Swipe may have managed to evade the Titans, but his night doesn't yet end when a chance encounter possibly leads to a new friendship._


	2. They Meet

"Swipe" by Ed Alger aka "SecondLevelWriter"

**TEEN TITANS** (c) Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. **TEEN TITANS** and all related characters and elements are trademarks of DC Comics. All Rights Reserved.

Brand names, like Wheaties or Nike or Reebok or whatever, are trademarks of their respective companies. Think of it as free advertising! Also, references to Dungeons and Dragons are property of Wizards of the Coast.

Mini-Chapter 2  
They Meet

Swipe ran for several blocks before it dawned on him that he was no longer being followed. He dropped his speed down to about half and breathed a short sigh of relief. It would have been a great blow to his reputation if he were to get captured by the Teen Titans on his first official encounter with them. The swift pace slowed to a normal jog, and then to a leisurely stride. With nobody trailing him, there was no need to go full-tilt.

As he got to an intersection, a lone person that was sitting on the edge of the roof of an apartment building caught his attention. Squinting to get a better look, he could make out that the person was a girl... with lavender colored hair in the shape of an oblong "U"... And now she's standing up; she's wearing a black, longsleeved shirt with deep blue frills along the neckline, and a black skirt with violet and black striped stockings and dark blue boots... and, she's holding her arms out, why would... oh my lord, she's JUMPING!

Even with his phenomenal speed, Swipe knew he really had to work to foil this girl's suicide attempt (or perhaps she's another teenager with superpowers... no, scratch that, she's still falling). A nearby cardboard recycling bin had a fair amount of boxes, but probably not enough to break her fall. Still, he piled them up anyway and further appraised his situation.

_'Dammit, she's halfway down... think, Swipe, THINK! Why couldn't someone open up a mattress store around here?'_

With only seconds left, the rogue threw a dozen of his knives into the side of the building and leaped to the makeshift handholds. He hoped he was high enough as the girl's form hurtled towards him, and he reached out to grab her.

He managed to hook an arm around the girl's waist, but her momentum pulled Swipe down with her. Both parties crashed into the pile of boxes, and for a long moment, there was only silence in the ensuing cloud of dust.

Eventually, a rustling could be heard, then coughing. Swipe emerged from the heap bruised and scraped, but otherwise okay. In his arms was the girl, slightly less bruised but she wasn't moving. The rogue put a finger to the girl's neck... good, there's a pulse. She's still alive.

"That was mighty close," he murmured to himself just as she began to stir. When she slowly opened her eyes, Swipe noticed that they were pink-hued and cat-like. Her skin was an odd shade of gray, a bit lighter compared to Raven's, and she had small triangular patches of purple makeup highlighting her cheeks. She was also rather thin, but he could feel some strength in her frame.

"Why... why did you save me?" she whispered.

"Um, because it was the right thing to do, and I can't bear to witness anyone take their own life. Especially in the messy fashion you chose."

"I wanted to die. Please.. let me _die_.."

"Why?"

"Because there's nothing left for me to live for."

This concerned the thief. He had heard about people in this state, sufferring from complete depression, and how single-minded they become in their own destruction.

"You don't have a home?" he asked her while making sure she hadn't broken anything.

"The Hive was my home.. not any more."

"Then I guess I'll have to take you to mine. Can't just leave you here..."

Swipe got to his feet with the girl being carried in his arms. She would have struggled, but the stabbing pain in her left leg from the rough landing prevented it. He started walking, not at his usual blinding speed, but just enough to keep from jostling his passenger around.

"I probably should introduce myself, seeing that I saved ya and all. My name's Swipe. What's yours?"

For a long moment, the girl was silent. It seemed like she wasn't going to talk to him, as she was still unhappy that he did not allow her to plummet to her demise and let her end her misery. After another few minutes, the rogue gave up on getting his answer.

"Jinx," the girl finally spoke, with her voice barely above a whisper.

"Hm?"

"My name... it's Jinx."

_End of Chapter 2_

_**In Chapter 3: **Trying to be the "good guy", Swipe brings Jinx back to his hideout so that she at least has a place to stay for the night. During the night, he tries his hardest to be a proper host, but she doesn't seem to be in the mood for talking..._


	3. Never Say the S Word

"Swipe" by Ed Alger aka "SecondLevelWriter"

**TEEN TITANS** (c) Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. **TEEN TITANS** and all related characters and elements are trademarks of DC Comics. All Rights Reserved.

Brand names, like Wheaties or Nike or Reebok or whatever, are trademarks of their respective companies. Think of it as free advertising. Also, references to Dungeons and Dragons are property of Wizards of the Coast.

Timeline: This story takes place after "Winner Take All" but just before "Betrayal". Later parts will occur around "Deception" and "Wavelength."

Chapter 3

Never Say The "S" Word

They would arrive at the old Shady Lake Motel, which had been abandoned for several months before Swipe made it his hideout. Jinx looked up at the run-down building and frowned.

"_This_ is where you live?"

"Yup. It may not look like much, but it's got it where it counts."

"Lovely.."

"You'll see."

Swipe carefully set his guest upon her feet while he unlocked and opened the door to what was once the main lobby. Jinx hesitantly entered the room, favoring her injured ankle and looking around critically. It looked like any other motel office, complete with the front desk and bell. However, a large rectangular hole had been cut in the middle of the right-hand wall, leading into the first motel room. As she walked through the opening, she found the room fashioned into a large den. Many of the walls had been knocked out, leaving only the support pillars. Two rather old couches sat against the farthest walls, and a beanbag chair laid like a duct-taped blob in the center of the floor. Against the wall opposite to the couches was a 12" television sitting atop a stack of milk crates. Despite the tattered look of the furniture, the place was well-kept. Nothing was out of place, as far as she could tell, and that actually impressed her.

"Not bad for a hyperactive kleptomaniac, eh?"

Jinx slowly shook her head, but quickly winced when the pain in her left leg became aggravated again.

"Hey, easy there," Swipe said, offering his shoulder for support. "You'd better sit down."

"I'm _fine_," she insisted, but soon relented and hooked her arm around the rogue so she could limp to the couch.

"I thought that landing was still pretty hard. Wish you would've given me a warning or something." he joked to her as he eased her to her seat.

"Warning? Why would I give _any_one warning? I was committing --- !" she shot back, not realizing that a blanket was being draped over her shoulders.

"Don't say the 'S' word! Here," he turned the sorceress so that she could rest her injured leg properly, "keep as much weight off of that as you can. It's probably sprained."

Jinx swatted at his hands in an attempt to drive him off, "Why are you doing this, anyway? I didn't _ask_ you for your help, after all."

Swipe took a few steps backward and flopped onto the other couch with a great sigh. For a moment, he said nothing and just looked at his guest. Jinx's brow furrowed as she glared back, waiting with silent impatience for his reply.

"WELL?"

"Look," the thief answered, "you told me you didn't have a home anymore. Therefore, I figured you needed a place to stay. And, as you are now a guest in my home, I must offer you my hospitality."

Jinx faltered for a moment as she turned her gaze downward, "Oh.. that's right. I did say that, didn't I."

After a moment of watching her stare blankly at the floor, Swipe decided to break this little angst session and got up to head for the next connecting room.

"Lemme getcha somethin' to drink. Maybe you'll feel a bit better with somethin' in your stomach. Anything you prefer?"

Jinx stayed quiet for a minute, still in her lonely trance. Unwilling to wait for a response this time, the rogue stepped in front of her and got face-to-face with her.

"Helloooo, Earth to Jinx! Come in, Jinx! Do you require refreshment?"

The girl's feline eyes widened at his intrusion, "Uhm... sure."

Swipe needed specifics, "Water? Milk? Soda? Columbian bean juice?"

This brought Jinx completely out of her funk, "Columbian what?"

"Coffee."

"Milk will be fine," the sorceress replied with a wrinkled nose. There was a slight pause before she added, "... thanks."

With a smile, Swipe was gone. During his absence, Jinx began thinking.

_'He's gone.. I could just get up and leave right now. But my ankle hurts so bad, I don't think I could even walk on it. Damn that Swipe. He spoiled everything. I was finally going to end these nightmares, and then HE comes along and saves me! Who does he think he is, anyway? One of the Teen Titans? No.. he's not one of them, or else they'd have ALL tried to save me so they could humiliate me again.'_

Another thought occurred to her, '_Wait a minute... He **did** save me... But why? He didn't even know my name. Why would he have even cared?'_

Just then, Swipe returned with refreshments and an ice pack. Jinx wordlessly took her cup and sipped some of the milk, fixing a puzzled look on her host as he carefully applied the pack to her ankle and sat back down across from her. The rogue had finished a long swig of his soda when he noticed her stare.

"(urp) What is it?"

Jinx's lavender eyes narrowed a little at the belch, but then returned to that piercing gaze.

"Why did you save me?" she asked him at last.

"I already told you. Because I thought it was the right thing to do."

"But I didn't _want_ to be saved."

"How do you know? And anyways, why did _you_ want to die in the first place?"

"_I_ told _you_. Because there's nothing _left_ in my life," Jinx shot back.

"Ah yeah, you mentioned something about a hive earlier."

"_THE_ Hive," she corrected him sharply, causing him to recoil in mock fear, "It was an academy that I had attended with my friends, Mammoth and Gizmo. Our test was to take on the Teen Titans and defeat them. We.. we _had_ them. We even had that tower of theirs! We'd WON!"

Swipe took another drink as he listened intently, "Okay. So, then what?"

"But then... then they came back... they beat us somehow. We failed, and then we were expelled from The Hive. My friends are gone, my home is gone... everything's gone."

A tear rolled down Jinx's cheek as she spoke. Swipe would've tried consoling her if he knew she wouldn't lash out at him.

"They just booted you out, just like that?" he asked instead. She nodded her reply before taking a long drink of her milk so she could hide the fact that she was crying.

"And that's when you decided to end it all."

Jinx rubbed her eyes one last time, "No. I tried to get back in. But, nobody would even speak with me again. Not even the Headmistress... or Slade."

That name got Swipe's attention. He had read enough newspapers to know that Slade was one of the city's most dangerous criminals, and the Teen Titans' archnemesis. In fact, Swipe had been originally confused for one of Slade's lackeys when they found him trying to break into a bakery. Recalling the perplexed looks on their faces made the rogue grin nostalgically.

"What're _you_ smiling about?"

"Huh? Oh, sorry, Jinx. I was just reminded of something when you mentioned Slade."

The sorceress scowled, "You don't understand. I didn't think you would."

"Oh, no, I understand. I've dealt with failures in my life, too. I couldn't do well in school because I can't sit still for a really long time, and my chronic desire to take stuff didn't make things any _easier_. I eventually left my family because I didn't want to be a burden on them. I failed, too, but I kept on going."

"Swipe, this failure cost me my LIFE!"

"Lemme tell you something," he moved over to the couch she was sitting on and looked her right in the eyes, "Life is about learning from your own mistakes. To end it after one hardship is to waste it completely. There's _always_ a second chance, no matter how bad a situation seems." Jinx's eyes widened slightly as the rogue returned to his original seat and added, "_That's_ why I saved you. You deserved a second chance at life."

The girl sat in stunned silence as Swipe glanced at the clock, which was going on 2:00 a.m.

"It's getting late. You're welcome to stay the night, Jinx. Your leg should be better in the morning."

He got up to get a pillow for his guest when she snapped out of her daze.

"Swipe, I- I... um..."

"Sorry, did I get a little too deep on ya back there?"

Jinx was not aware of the blush on her cheeks, "No.. I just wanted... wanted to thank you."

The rogue grinned as he handed her the pillow and an extra blanket, "Hey, you needed a friend. Now you've got one."

Jinx blinked at him. The word "friend" suddenly sounded alien to her, "You mean, even after all the --"

"Even after all the stuff you put me through, and that mean-girl act you put on earlier. Yes, even after that. D'you sleep with your hair like that, or what?"

Jinx genuinely blushed this time, "That is none of your business."

"I'm _kidding_," he snickered while he unfolded the couch he was previously sitting on, revealing the mattress underneath, "Here ya go. Nice and comfy... for the most part."

She gingerly climbed onto the hideaway bed, being careful not to upset her sprained ankle any more. Swipe almost started to get her tucked in when she again swatted him away.

"I'm not completely helpless, you know!" she protested, kicking her boots over the side at him.

"No, but you're not exactly ready to run the Boston Marathon, either," he retorted, catching each boot and placing them against the wall. Jinx pulled the blanket up past her shoulders and let out a "hmph". Swipe was about to turn out the light when he heard a quiet voice from under that blanket.

"Swipe?"

"Yo."

"Um.. can't we talk a little longer?"

The thief couldn't help but smile, "Sure, Jinx. Lemme get my stuff."

There was a pause, and the girl peered over the covers to see if he'd come back. Sure enough, he returned in pajamas and carrying his own pillow and blanket. After setting everything down and settling in, he looked over at his guest with a lopsided grin.

"Alright. Whatcha wanna talk about?"

"I was wondering... just how did you stop my fall?"

"I'm fast."

"No kidding," she said sarcastically as she sat up, "But_ how_ fast is 'fast'?"

Swipe seemed to shift position, "That fast."

"But you didn't even..." the sorceress was about to protest when half of her hair suddenly went flat against her head. The rogue held up a black elastic band that she was wearing just a second ago.

"Told ya," he chuckled, tossing the band back to her, "Now what about you? I've been curious about how you got your name."

"I cause bad luck," Jinx replied with an air of wicked pride.

"That makes sense. Can you show me?"

After looking around for a suitable target, the girl smirked as she pointed a finger in Swipe's general area. Without warning, a spring in the couch popped loose and smacked the thief right in the rear. He yelped in surprise while she giggled mischeviously.

"Interesting," he remarked as he rubbed the stinging sensation on his rump.

"That's not all I can do.." she added impishly, conjuring a fluorescent pink orb of energy into the palm of her hand.

"GAH! Not in the house!" Swipe shouted, jumping from the couch to grab at her wrist. Jinx laughed as she tried to wrestle away from him, but shrieked when she twisted her sprained ankle the wrong way. The energy ball winked out as quickly as it had been summoned.

"Whoa, whoa! Take it easy. Here, lemme help you," he offered, walking around to her left side.

"No! No, it's okay."

"It'll only be a minute. I'm not gonna hurt you, I promise."

"IT'S OKAY!" she protested while he threw the blanket off of her left leg. Her yelling would subside when he began to gently rub his fingers against the injured ankle, trying to soothe the pain. Jinx unconsciously sighed in contentment.

"Relax, Jinx. Maybe you should get some shut-eye now, alright? No more bad-luck-blasts for tonight."

The sorceress settled back under her blankets, with the pain in her ankle subdued for the time being. Swipe returned to his own couch and pulled the cover over his head before having to get back up to turn the light off.

"Good night, Jinx," he said once he was back on the couch.

There was a brief silence. He thought she had already fallen asleep, until he heard that quiet voice one last time.

"Good night, Swipe... my friend."

Not everyone sleeps in Jump City, not even when the clock has gone well past midnight. In his new control room, a criminal mastermind watches the recordings of the Titans' first encounter with his potential apprentice. Of course, he already had one by this time, but who is to say that he couldn't have two? Competition is one of the driving forces in an apprenticeship. That's what drove _her_ to him.

This one, Swipe, could be different. He doesn't seek help for himself, nor does he have any self-doubts. Still, his inability to resist the urge to steal is redeeming... and could be molded as needed.

But what of this girl that he saved from death? She seems familiar.. ah, of course. The hex-caster, Jinx. A year and a half ago, she and her friends battled the Teen Titans as part of their final exam. When they failed to complete the mission, he saw to it that they were all expelled from The Hive. Jinx had desperately tried to get back in, but there is no place for weakness in the academy.

"So, she became so distraught that the only thing left for her was death. Her devotion is admirable," the armor-clad villain remarked to himself as he rewound the footage. "But, even more admirable is how this Swipe goes out of his way to rescue her despite not even knowing who she is."

Heroism... not exactly an endearing quality to a man like Slade. That would have to be worked on, or better yet, worked _out_. However, this trait can also be used to work to his advantage. It almost worked with Robin. It will work with Swipe.

_End Chapter 3_

_**In Chapter 4: **Jinx is still haunted by events from the past, Swipe is still stuck in the past (musically speaking), and a makeover looms on the horizon._


	4. Continental Breakfast

"Swipe" by Ed Alger aka "SecondLevelWriter"

**TEEN TITANS** (c) Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. **TEEN TITANS** and all related characters and elements are trademarks of DC Comics. All Rights Reserved.

Brand names, like Wheaties or Nike or Reebok or whatever, are trademarks of their respective companies. Try to think of it as free advertising. Also, references to Dungeons and Dragons are property of Wizards of the Coast.

Timeline: This story takes place between "Winner Take All" and "Betrayal".

----- Chapter 4 -----  
Continental Breakfast

Jinx's sleep was a restless one, and plagued with nightmares of her still being alone in the city. Nobody left to turn to, nowhere to run and hide. She was still haunted by visions of the gates to the academy being slammed in her face, Mammoth and Gizmo fading into the shadows without her, and both Slade and the Headmistress scowling disapprovingly at her. She cowered before them, silently pleading and begging to be let back into the academy. Slade gave her no response, only that burning glare. Jinx fell against the iron bars of the gate, overcome with grief, before crumpling to the ground and sobbing... all alone.

But then a new sound caught her attention. Music?

Very loud music, in fact. Something about a safety dance, as far as she could make out.

It was then that Jinx jerked awake, her eyes still stinging with tears as she sat bolt upright. She looked around the room in half-asleep confusion, trying to remember the events of last night.

She had jumped from the roof of a building, wanting to end her nightmares along with her life. Then.. something.. no, some_one_ caught her... and brought her here. She remembered him telling her about deserving a second chance at life.

And that certain someone was cooking breakfast, judging by the strong scent of bacon.

He was also singing along to the music she heard in her dream.

_"We can dance if you wan-to! We can leave your friends behind! 'Cuz yer friends don't dance, and IF they don't dance, well they're... no friends of mine!"_

The sorceress pulled herself out of bed, finding that her ankle had healed well enough to walk on, and followed the voice into the next room. She stopped in the doorway to what appeared to be a very large kitchen, or perhaps a kitchen combined with a dining room.

The room itself resembled the living room, with nearly all of the walls knocked out save for the support beams. The only exception was the preservation of the stove and refrigerator, which seemed oddly placed in the middle of the room against the single surviving section of drywall. In the nearest corner from the doorway sat a simple wooden table with two chairs of similar make placed at opposite ends.

Just then, the singing chef appeared from behind the other side of the wall. In each hand, he carried a heaping plateful of scrambled eggs, bacon, and toast. He nodded to his guest as he continued singing along to the song and carefully placed their breakfast on the table. He returned to the amused sorceress and took hold of her hands.

"C'mon, Jinx! Do the Safety Dance with me!"

"Are you out of your mind?" Jinx sounded as if that were a rhetorical question. He wouldn't give her an answer anyway until he had pulled her into the middle of the room.

"Not yet, but it's still early! Come on, _S! ...A! ...F! ...E! ...T! ...Y! Safety... DANCE!_"

"Let go of my hands, Swipe!" she continued to protest, despite stiffly mimicking her dance partner's movements.

"Whaddaya mean? You're doing great!"

"But I hate dancing!"

"Aw, don't worry! Nobody's watching!"

With no other options, the sorceress finally decided to feign injury, "OW! My ankle!"

The plan worked, and the dance was over as quickly as it had started.

"Sorry, are you all right? I didn't think I was that rough a dancer."

"It's okay," Jinx muttered, fake-limping to the dining table and gingerly sitting in a chair. "Maybe some other time."

Swipe sat in the chair opposite of hers, and picked up her left leg, "Lemme take a look at it."

"No, that's okay. I'm sure it'll be better later today," Jinx replied, trying to squirm away.

"Seriously, Jinx. Let me look at it," the rogue insisted, giving a quizzical look to her striped stockings, "And how _do_ you get into this get-up every day?"

"I SAID _LEAVE IT_!"

Wide-eyed, Swipe carefully returned her foot to the floor and drew his hands to his chest as if Jinx might bite them off if they got another centimeter closer to her. Without another word, the girl started eating her eggs, taking each bite with an annoyed huff. After a moment, Swipe would begin eating his own breakfast, albeit with an air of dejection.

Wishing to break the silence between them, the rogue asked his guest a question.

"Do you have any parents?"

Jinx nearly choked at the inquiry. Nobody had asked or cared about her parents while she was in The Hive. For a while, she herself had forgotten about them entirely.

"They... they're dead. They died when I was a baby."

"Oh.. geez, I'm sorry. I didn't know. Did you ever find out what happened?"

"It's okay. No, I never knew. They never told me when I lived at the orphanage," she took another slow bite of her eggs as she spoke.

Swipe had stopped eating altogether, "How long were you there?"

"... Until I was enrolled in The Hive, five years ago."

Another sore spot. This conversation was going from bad to tragic.

"Why are you asking me all these questions, anyway?" she inquired, fixing a curious look on him.

"Just, um... just wondering. I'd like... to... get to... um, know you," the rogue found himself stammering, and his face was burning up from embarrassment.

The bemused sorceress smirked to herself, "What about you, then? Where are your parents?"

Swipe looked a bit surprised at first that she'd ask him a question, but he gave her a grin before replying, "My parents live in Washington, near Redmond."

Jinx nodded, casually tearing a piece of bacon in half and eating it, "And how long have you lived in Jump City?"

"About 6 months. I've done a lot of wandering."

The sorceress popped the other half of the bacon in her mouth, "Mm-hmm.. When did you first find out about your abilities?"

"When I was 8. I was walking home from school, and I saw this pie cooling on a window sill..."

The conversation continued, with each finding out more and more of the other. Soon, Jinx was laughing at the jokes he was making about his experiences with the Titans, including the one about the bakery. And Swipe listened to every story she had to tell about her days in the academy, and her own battle against the Titans. After nearly an hour of talking, Jinx decided to ask a different question.

"Say, are we going to be doing anything today? It's already going on ten."

For a moment, Swipe simply blinked at her, perhaps caught off-guard by the question. Once the words had registered, he nodded profusely, "Y- Yeah! Where'd you want to go? That is.. if you're feeling up to it."He nodded towards her sprained ankle.

"It should be fine," the hex-caster replied with a grin, "Why don't we go to the shopping mall?"

The thief tilted his head, "What for?"

Without giving him an answer just yet, Jinx walked to a mirror near the far doorway, gazing at her reflection all the while. Her lavender hair, while disheveled, still retained most of its horseshoe-like shape. Her black goth-ish clothes were torn in various places. Even if they were intact, she wouldn't hate them any less. They represented the old Jinx. Old, and worthless.

"It's time for a new look."

_End of Chapter 4_

_**In Chapter 5: **A trip to the mall! Things couldn't possibly go awry there, right? Right?_


	5. Mallrats, Green Ones

"Swipe" by Ed Alger aka "SecondLevelWriter"

**TEEN TITANS** (c) Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. **TEEN TITANS** and all related characters and elements are trademarks of DC Comics. All Rights Reserved.  
Brand names, like Wheaties, Nike orwhatever, are trademarks of their respective companies. Free advertising, remember? Also, references to Dungeons and Dragons are property of Wizards of the Coast.  
Timeline: This story takes place between "Winner Take All" and "Betrayal".

: Chapter 5 :  
Mallrats, Green Ones

The duo were nearly a block away from the mall. To pass the time, they continued their chat from breakfast. This time, they would learn more about personal tastes; favorite foods, movies, books, games... anything and everything.

"Are you into any sports?" Swipe asked his friend as they entered the mall.

"Well, I was top of my class in gymnastics. I even like to incorporate it into my fighting style."

"Gymnastics. Hmm... somehow, I can't see you on a box of Wheaties."

"Thanks a lot. I suppose you'd be the first choice for Nike, Worn-Out-Sneaker Boy." she retorted and stuck her tongue out at him.

The rogue suddenly clutched his chest, as if he were shot by an arrow, "Gah! Critical hit on my ego! Will save! Must make Will save!"

"You'll live. How am I gonna pay for this, anyway? I don't have any money," Jinx remarked as they reached the hair salon. Swipe grinned and held up a small wad of bills. Jinx eyed him suspiciously, "You didn't..."

"I didn't. This money comes from my other occupation. The only things I'll steal are the cupcakes from the governor's pantry."

The girl shook her head and accepted a couple of bills from the rogue before walking inside. Swipe took a seat on the bench just outside and waited. Five minutes later, he would spot two other teenagers roaming the mall. One was a Tamaranean with a hard-to-pronounce native name, and the other was a green shapeshifter.

"Not good. Not good at all.." he muttered to himself, searching madly for a place to hide.

The Titans were walking towards him, but they had not taken notice yet. Swipe took refuge by a soda vending machine, hoping they'd just pass by.

"Hey, wait a second, Star.."

Swipe tensed, ready to bolt.

"I need to get a drink. Umm... got change for a five?"

Beads of sweat began rolling off the thief's face. He pressed himself against the machine in a desperate attempt to become invisible. He strained his ears to try to hear what was happening, which turned out to be very little. The sound of the bill collector whirring again and again as Beast Boy failed to get the machine to accept the dollar slowly drove Swipe mad. His desire to remain hidden began clashing with his desire to get the damned dollar in the machine so the Titans would go away.

To try and strike up a compromise, Swipe unsurreptitiously reached around the corner and grabbed at the dollar bill. A surprised Beast Boy could only gape as the mystery arm quickly smoothed the bill out on the corner of the machine, then stabbed the dollar into the machine's front four times before finding the slot. Once the bill was accepted, thehand angrily pointed at the selection buttons to get the changeling to choose his soda. The next words out of the green Titan's mouth would work to further infuriate the rogue.

"Aww, man! I didn't know this machine was sold out of Red Fizz!"

At last, the thief bellowed from behind the machine, causing the shapeshifter to recoil in shock, "JUST PICK A BLINKIN' POP, WILL YA! THEY ALL TASTE THE SAME ANYWAY!"

"Sheesh! I didn't think they made these vending machines so tempramental!" Beast Boy remarked sourly, pressing the button for his next-favorite drink and walking away with it once it was dispensed.

Swipe heaved a great sigh of relief at the departure, but this reprieve would be short-lived. In the time it took for this whole thing to resolve, Jinx had finished with her haircut. She stepped out just as Starfire and Beast Boy were five feet past the salon.

"Oh, Swi-ipe!" she called out. "Where are you hiding? Come on out and take a look at the new style!"

The two Titans froze in mid-step. The voice sounded awfully familiar, and the name that was being called _definitely_ sounded familiar.

"Swipe..?" Starfire echoed.

"... Jinx?" Beast Boy added, once his memory had been searched.

As they turned back around, they saw the hex-caster mostly as they remembered her. The only difference now was her new hairstyle, which resembled her former look but much shorter and set closer to her head. Also, the two points curled inwards slightly rather than fanning out.

"What the..? What're you doing here!" the sorceress demanded.

"We'd like to know the same thing!" Beast Boy countered. "And what's your connection to Swipe?"

Jinx crossed her arms over her chest defiantly, "That's _none_ of your business."

Starfire, who was previously building herself up for a battle, noticed Jinx's new hairdo as well as her slightly tattered outfit. Curiosity soon got the better of her.

"Jinx, um, what has happened to your clothing? And why did you decide to alter your hair?"

The sorceress grinned and fluffed her pink hair briefly, "You know what they say, dear. 'Out with the old and in with the new?' Well, as of this moment, the _old_ Jinx is _history_. Dead, if you will."

Swipe listened intently to the girl's words, wincing a bit at the mention of "dead". Still being hidden behind the vending machine, he never noticed that Jinx was currently headed in his direction. Apparently, he also wasn't as well-concealed as he thought.

"Now, come on, Kid Flash! We've got work to do!"

Before he could stop her advance or even get away, the girl snagged him by the shirt and was walking quickly to the nearest clothing store. Meanwhile, the two Titans stood there slack-jawed at what they had just witnessed.

"Dude, was that who I think it was?" Beast Boy finally asked his friend.

"It was. And Jinx is apparently with him somehow... but why did she call him 'Kid Flash'?"

"Beats me. Should we try following them? Or d'you think we should get Robin and the others first?"

Starfire pondered for only a moment before reaching a conclusion, "I believe that we can handle this ourselves. Let us see what they are upping-to first. Besides, Jinx did not attempt to attack us when she had the chance."

As they began to walk, the green Titan attempted to make sense of what he'd heard from Jinx, "What'd she mean by 'the old Jinx' being 'dead'? Did something happen to her at the academy?"

"I remember that Gizmo was expelled from The Hive after our first battle. Perhaps Jinx sufferred the same fate?"

"And she might've tried...? Ughh, I don't even wanna _think_ about that," the changeling shuddered.

"Think about what?"

"You know..." Beast Boy lowered his voice to barely a whisper, "... suicide."

"_The taking of one's own life?_" the Tamaranean shouted out loud as she stopped in her tracks, eyes wide with shock. Beast Boy waved his hands to get her to lower her voice, and nodded his reply. "That is _horrible_! I would _never_ wish for someone to do that! Why would Jinx even consider such a thing!"

"_Shh!_ Not everyone's like Raven, Star. Some people have a hard time dealing with depression, and... Hey, don't start crying about it!"

But the tears were already welling up in the girl's emerald eyes, "I- I cannot help it... I feel absolutely awful. I was unaware that my actions would cause something such as this."

The shapeshifter patted his friend's shoulder, "Nobody knew, Star. It just happens. Besides, she's alive, so you don't have to be upset, okay? Now, come on! We've gotta catch up to them and see what they're up to in here!"

Starfire rubbed her eyes one last time before giving an affirmative nod and followed Beast Boy into what some considered a trendy clothing shop. They kept themselves hidden behind a large rack of shirts as they observed Swipe and Jinx. At the moment, Jinx was flitting from rack to rack, pulling shirts out and then putting them back. Swipe had found a place to lean against to watch his new friend shop.

"What was that whole 'Kid Flash' thing about, anyway?" he finally asked.

"Huh?" Jinx replied, poking her head up from a rack of shirts. "Oh, that. Well, you're quick as a _flash_ and you're a _kid_, so..."

Swipe rolled his eyes, "I get it. I get it. I suppose it could be worse..." The sorceress giggled lightly to herself and resumed her shopping. The rogue started to glance around the store, idly looking over the various shirts and such. As he scanned the store, he found something that seemed to pique his interest. "Hey, Jinx! How about these?"

Jinx walked over and nearly choked at the tank top, shorts, and sandals ensemble, "You've gotta be joking me."

"Just see how it looks. I'll bet it looks SMASHING on ya!"

"I'll smash _you_.." Jinx muttered under her breath as she trudged to the changing room. Starfire and Beast Boy exchanged confused glances. After a minute, she emerged in the new outfit. However, the look on her face clearly showed she did not like it. The tank top was too skimpy, in her opinion. The shorts itched, and the sandals would more than likely fly right off her feet if she ever had to fight in them.

Swipe, on the other hand, was practically glowing, "Oooooh! Aren't you just so _cute!_" It would be the sorceress' turn to roll her eyes, as shedecided that she'd humored her friend long enough.

"I _don't..._" Jinx started to say, kicking one sandal at him. The rogue easily dodged. "DO..." she continued, kicking the other sandal straight up in front of her. This feint worked to get Swipe to dodge too early. "**_CUTE!_**" she finally shouted, using a swift roundhouse kick to launch the airborne shoe straight at Swipe's forehead. A direct hit sent him reeling backwards, and towards the Titans' hiding place. Beast Boy immedately shifted into the form of a mouse to avoid getting caught, but realized a different plan would be needed to keep Starfire from being seen. Thinking quickly, the green Titan scurried to the front of the clothes rack and switched to a porcupine. Swipe's posterior came into contact with sharp quills, and...

"EE-_YOWTCH!_" the thief leapt forward in surprise, clapping both hands on his rear in pain.

Jinx only giggled as she returned to the dressing room. Within a few more minutes, she re-emerged in a totally different outfit: a loose-fitting purple t-shirt with a pink broken heart symbol on its front, knee-length denim shorts and black tennis shoes. She twirled in front of a mirror and admired her new look.

"I like it. How about you?" she asked her friend, whose rear was still smarting.

"Yeah, yeah. It's..." Swipe began to answer before he looked up, and found himself gaping when he finally did, "...you're ...pretty -- d'ah -- GOOD! Pretty good! It's so you!"

The sorceress blushed from Swipe's early mumbling and prayed that the purple makeup she wore on her cheeks kept it covered. Starfire, however, easily noticed this and nodded to herself. Things were slowly starting to add up, which eased the weight on her heart a bit.

At that moment, Beast Boy surfaced from the shirts and returned to his humanoid form, "I guess they're not up to anything.. except Jinx's makeover. I think it's safe to say we can get outta here."

Starfire agreed, and they crept back out of the store without alerting the two shoppers. On the walk back, Starfire started to think about what she had seen. For once, it seemed like Jinx was genuinely happy with her new friend. In their previous encounters, the Titan girl couldn't recall a time when she had heard Jinx laugh without having malice or spite behind it.

"Doin' some deep thinkin', Star?" Beast Boy finally inquired after a long period of silent walking.

Starfire nodded, "I had always wondered what became of Jinx after we defeated her and her Hive Academy friends so long ago, especially when we found out what had happened to Gizmo."

"Looks to me like she's starting a new life. And we've got Swipe to thank for it."

"I suppose that is true, Beast Boy. She may have been our enemy in the past, but..." Starfire looked back over her shoulder as they exited the mall. "I only hope that her new life is far better than her old one."

The shapeshifter chuckled, "You actually have a soft spot for those Hive rejects?"

"It is like what Robin said, 'Everybody deserves a second chance.' Would you not agree?"

With that, the Tamaranean took to the air, leaving Beast Boy to watch her for a moment. He knew who she was referring to, and soon gave a final "heh" to the matter before changing into a crow to catch up with his friend.

That evening, in the office of the Headmaster of the Hive Academy for Extraordinary Young People...

"You, uh, wanted t' see me, sir?" The student - a hulk of a man with shaggy brown hair, a small diamond-shaped beard growing from his chin, and wearing a black bodysuit accented with yellow strips of studded metal around his shoulders and chest - asked with hesitation as he shifted his weight uneasily.

"Ah, yes, Mammoth. I was wondering how your search for Jinx had been proceeding," a rather statuesque man replied as he rose from his chair. He wore a pure white robe, adorned with red, black, and gold trim along the sleeves and collar. His hair was also white, elegantly trimmed with painstaking precision. His facial expression carried a permanent air of confidence.

"Uh, not too well, Headmaster... I didn't think she'd be this hard t' find."

The Headmaster, better known as Brother Blood, exhaled slowly through his teeth. Truly, it was frustrating that nobody could track down one teenage girl in this city, but he decided not to take it out on Mammoth or Gizmo. At least, not yet.

"Well, continue looking. She must still be in the city _some_where," Brother Blood sighed again as he added to himself, "The old Headmistress was a fool for squandering some of her best students on the whims of that deluded schemer."

Mammoth remained silent, although he did agree with the Headmaster's opinion. After one setback, Slade made sure to throw all three of them out into the street without notice or second chances. After that, they had all gone their separate ways for a while to try and improve their abilities before making an attempt to return to the Hive.

Jinx, however, wasn't much of a loner. She tried her hardest to get herself, if not all three of them, reinstated in the academy. But, in the end, the Headmistress would only listen to Slade and staunchly refused their readmission. It was obvious that she was grief-stricken by the whole ordeal, which eventually caused Gizmo to go off on his own. He claimed that it was because he couldn't listen to Jinx whine all day and all night, but Mammoth had a feeling that it was more like the pint-sized genius couldn't take seeing his friend crying.

The brute's train of thought was interrupted by the Headmaster clearing his throat, "Did you hear me, Mammoth? I said, 'You're dismissed.'"

Mammoth blinked out of his thoughts and nodded, "Oh, uh, yeah! Thanks, uh, Headmaster!" He bowed once and sheepishly exited the office. Brother Blood sighed heavily as he sank back into his seat. For all his strength, Mammoth wasn't quite the brightest bulb in the box.

No matter, though. He would still serve his purpose in the academy, as would Jinx... if she's ever found. Those three were the only ones to actually upend the Titans and rout them from their own tower, even if it was only for a brief time. Slade himself could not boast of such a feat, although he struck the Headmaster as someone that wasn't prone to do so anyway.

Meanwhile, in Slade's underground "cathedral", a rather thin shadow made itself visible from the background while Slade observed the recordings from his spy drones.

Slade never turned to face it, but addressed it just the same, "Ah, good. You've returned. I began to wonder if you were discovered..."

The figure remained expressionless, "They still don't suspect a thing. What did you need from me?"

"I have another assignment for you," The mastermind explained as he pressed a button on his armlet, which brought up several images of last night's Titan romp with Swipe. He paused the video and zoomed in on Swipe's face before turning to his new apprentice.

"Follow this boy. He could prove... _useful_... to our cause."

**_End of Chapter 5_**

_**In Chapter 6: **The pair get a little sparring practice in, while someone still lamentsatop Titan's Tower._

Author's Note: I'd like to give a big thanks to those who have reviewed my story so far. As of this writing, I'm still working on Chapter 6 but I am nearly finished. It will be uploaded as soon as I've finished and am happy with it. Until next time!


	6. Nothing More Than Feelings

"Swipe" by Ed Alger aka "SecondLevelWriter"  
For disclaimer information, see Chapter 1. I'm getting kinda tired of writing it, and I'm sure everyone gets the point by now.

Chapter 6  
Nothing More Than Feelings

That evening, Jinx and Swipe returned to the hideout to sort out what was purchased at the mall. While the sorceress burst through the front door, her friend staggered in behind her with a mountain of bags and boxes in his gradually weakening arms.

"Ahhh, I feel like all the pressure on my shoulders has been washed away!" Jinx sighed, just as a loud crash erupted behind her. When she turned, all she could see was the large pile of bags and spilled clothing with Swipe's twitching left arm sticking out from underneath.

"... and placed on yours..." she added a bit sheepishly as she pulled her friend from his 100-percent cotton tomb, "Are you alright?"

"Oh yes, me feeling okie-dokie tonight..." Swipe replied with dizzied swirls in his eyes.

A bead of sweat rolled from Jinx's forehead, "Yeah, you're fine."

The rogue shook the stars from his vision, "Oh, I picked up something for ya when you were shopping."

"When did you do that? I thought you stayed with me the whole time... ah, right. You're _fast_," Jinx elbowed her friend playfully.

"Fast enough to getcha this..." Swipe reached into his pocket and produced a long, rectangular box, which he then handed to the sorceress. Jinx eyed him suspiciously as she slowly opened her present, but suspicion would turn to astonishment when she saw a gold bracelet inside. Hanging at its center was a gold charm in the shape of a broken heart, matching the new shirt she wore.

Jinx took in a long gasp, "Swipe..! You.. You **got** this for **me?**"

"Bought it with what was left of my earnings, yeah. Imagine that, I didn't steal it."

"That must have been quite an inner struggle," she said sarcastically before giving him a great big hug around the neck. "Thank you so much. I love it!"

Swipe was caught a bit off-guard by the hug, and found himself unable to return it until well after she had let go. Jinx excitedly put the bracelet on her right wrist and held it up to admire it. After another half-minute of being dazed, Swipe stumbled into the living room to turn on the evening news and see if anything good was happening. He sat in his beanbag chair, watching Jinx as she looked at her new present from every possible angle. The rogue smiled to himself. It was good to see her in such high spirits now.

_"In other news, Senator Goodson has approved a plan to renovate downtown Jump City. The plan will include the demolition of part of the residential area, shown here."_

A map was displayed, with the area to be demolished shown in red. Swipe sat upright in his chair just as Jinx took a seat on thecouch.

"Wait a sec! There are still people living there! What's supposed to happen to them!" the rogue shouted at the television.

The news reporter continued, _"The renovation plans also include the construction of an upscale shopping mall, with many of the top names in clothing and electronics already competing for shop space."_

"And those top names probably paid that chump senator off to approve the proposal.. It's time to pay him another visit," Swipe snarled while Jinx lookedoverto him with a bit of concern. The rogue noticed her gaze and met it, adding with a smile, "Well, maybe in a couple of nights. It occurs to me that I've never seen you in action, Jinx."

The hex-caster grinned back, "I was hoping you'd notice. Do you have a place to train?"

Swipe took Jinx by the hand, "Of course! Follow me. It's out back by the pool."

She followed along, through the kitchen and into what she could figure to be the bedroom. From there, he led her out a back door that was carved out of the wall. There she saw a pool, filled with water and also well-kept. To its right was a large expanse of grass and asphalt with a collection of machinery that would've impressed even Gizmo.

"You certainly have a lot of free time on your hands," Jinx remarked with a giggle.

"Being ultra-fast does that to a person. I should enter Robo-Wars 'r something. Care to try it?"

Jinx smiled confidently as she ran to the middle of the makeshift arena, "Gimme your worst."

Swipe picked up the remote controller and set the difficulty setting to "easy" so the sorceress could get used to the routine. Within a minute, a short, thick cylinder noisily rattled and opened, releasing three flying pods. The pods themselves looked like nothing more than revamped remote-controlled helicopters with some aluminum siding as armor. Equipped to each pod's underbelly was a stungun-type weapon, possibly recovered from a home security store's box of damaged goods.

The rogue raised his hand, "READY!" Jinx nodded an affirmative.

"GO!" Swipe pressed the green button. The pods sprang to life and flew straight for Jinx while firing stun bolts everywhere.

The sorceress deftly flipped backwards, pushing off with one hand and landing a couple of yards away from the attacks. Her eyes glowed pink as she chanted something under her breath, and a curved bolt of energy shot from her fingertips. The targeted drone attempted to stop the attack by shooting at it, but the bolt barrelled through the assault and struck true. Without warning, the motor for the helicopter blade overheated and exploded, taking the drone with it.

The remaining two drones tried to flank Jinx and sprayed more stun bolts on either side of her. She quickly leapt high into the air and just out of range, all the while chanting another one of her hexes. This time, one of the drones suddenly jerked and contorted before spinning wildly out of control. The hex-caster used the floundering automaton as a springboard to leap back to the ground, just as it careened into the asphalt ahead of her.

Smirking, Jinx turned to the last target and raised her hands over her head. Between her palms, a large orb of fluorescent pink energy began to pulsate before it was thrown with all of the girl's force. The blast engulfed the final drone, disintegrating it completely. As the smoke cleared, Jinx turned a few cartwheels and handsprings on her way back to where Swipe was waiting. For just a moment, she felt like she was back at the academy, showing Slade what she and her friends could do. Only now, she was performing for a more private audience, a fact that did not diminish her smile in the least.

"That felt _great_!" she said brightly, with only a trace of perspiration on her forehead.

"Impressive! You weren't kidding about being a great gymnast!" Swipe remarked as he approached her and gave her a pat on the shoulder.

"Wanna play Two Players this time?" she invited with a glint of excitement in her feline eyes.

Swipe was sporting a mile-wide grin of his own as he picked up the remote.

Meanwhile, a lone figure sat on the rooftop of Titans Tower, staring into the night sky as she usually did when she had to think about things. Despite Beast Boy's reassurance, Starfire still felt horrible about being almost responsible for someone taking their own life. She wanted so badly to make it up to Jinx, but wasn't sure how. After a long time of fruitless pondering, the Titan let out a dejected sigh.

Out of nowhere, Robin took a seat next to the Tamaranean. She looked away from the sky to greet her dearest friend.

"Hello, Robin."

"Hey, Star. Beast Boy told me about who you saw at the mall today."

Starfire nodded once, "Jinx. Only.. in a way.. it was _not_ Jinx."

"Howso?"

"At one time, she was evil. She tried to bring harm to all of us, and even steal from innocent people. Today, she was cheerful... smiling! She did not even attempt to attack Beast Boy or myself."

This even made Robin a bit confused. Jinx was _cheerful?_

Starfire lowered her gaze from the stars to the ocean, "Beast Boy also mentioned the possibility of Jinx attempting... s-- s--" She squeezed her eyes shut as she forced the word out, "su-icide."

The former Boy Wonder put his hand on his friend's shoulder for reassurance, "So I heard. Star, it's not your fault.. None of us had any idea that she'd try to do that to herself. Besides, we needed to stop her and her friends from accomplishing whatever they were told to do. We didn't have much of a choice."

"I understand... but I still feel like a _blorthug_."

Robin sighed, but then thought of something, "I know a place that might cheer you up. It's an 80s dance club called 'The Retro Zone'. Would you like to check it out tomorrow night?"

Starfire smiled with mild embarrassment, "You are asking me out on a date, are you not?"

"I promise I won't destroy half of Jump City if you decline," Robin quipped, referring to their encounter with Killer Moth and his supremely spoiled daughter, Kitten.

"Then I shall promise not to drag you onto the dance floor and swing you around at high velocities," Starfire shot back, recalling the moment when that little brat practically flung poor Robin around like a rag doll. Robin snorted his response, also remembering that excruciatingly long dance.

"So about this time tomorrow?" the Titans' leader asked as he got to his feet.

"Certainly! I look forward to the checking out of this new dance club already!" the Tamaranean answered with a bright smile as she also stood up. They both went back inside, where an apparent fight was about to break out over who gets control of the remote.

"Tech TV!"  
"Animal Planet!"  
"TECH TV!"  
"ANIMAL PLANET!"  
"Guys..."

_**End of Chapter 6**_

_**In Chapter 7: **Swipe makes another trip to improve the living conditions for his friend. However, as usual, the forces of fate have other ideas..._


	7. The Big Meeting

"Swipe" by Ed Alger, aka SecondLevelWriter

Disclaimer information listed on Chapter 1 does indeed apply for this chapter, as well.

Chapter 7  
The Big Meeting

The next morning, Swipe was up before the sun even appeared over the horizon. Using the back exit to avoid waking Jinx, the rogue headed back to the mall to find more damaged gadgets that he could try repairing and adding to the hideout. On his way there, however, he was stopped once again by a familiar sextet.

Wait a minute... Sextet?

It _was_ the Teen Titans, only there was an extra member this time. The rogue looked the new girl over; she had long blonde hair reaching just past her shoulders, an exceptionally thin frame (moreso than even Jinx), and piercing blue eyes. He began to wonder what her abilities were, but chose to address that later.

"Alright, what d'you guys want _this_ time?"

Robin stepped forward, "We want to extend an invitation to you."

Swipe blinked, "Invitation? What about the other night?"

"We wanted to see what you were capable of. We know as well as you do that Senator Goodson is corrupt, and grand theft doesn't include corndogs and soda," Robin allowed himself a grin.

The rogue had to laugh, "I figured as much. So, where's this wild party that I'm being invited to?"

"Titan Tower, of course," Cyborg replied. "We'd like to see your abilites up close this time."

Swipe seemed to choke at that, "Erm.. You don't mean... ya want me to be a Teen Titan?"

"Oh, please join with us! We would be delighted to have you as part of our group! We can share stories of glorious battles and even participate in the creation of the Earth delicacy, 'S'Mores!'" Starfire suddenly chirped as she swooped up to the rogue and grabbed his hand, which she squeezed with all her might.

Swipe pried his hand from the Tamaranian's grip and shook the feeling back into it, "I dunno.. I'm not exactly a hero-type."

The blonde girl finally spoke up, "At least give our obstacle course a try. Besides, if you won't join us, we could still be allies."

The rogue scratched his chin thoughtfully, and finally nodded, "Ya got a point, there. Alright, I'll come with you. BUT... I'm still on the fence about joinin' you guys, okay?"

Robin nodded once, "We won't force it out of you. After you?" He gestured to the T-Car, but Swipe held up a hand.

"You go on ahead. I'll follow you on foot. In fact, I'll race you."

The Titans' leader only snickered as he waved everyone back, "You're on. Titans, let's go."

Cyborg started the T-Car's engine as Terra climbed in last, giving the rogue one last look just before she settled into the back seat. Something about that look unsettled Swipe, however, as if she were sizing him up. The vehicle sped off towards the Titans' headquarters, leaving Swipe to stand on the curb and watch. The rogue soon shook the thought out of his head and took off running after them.

At Titan's Tower, the T-Car pulled into the holding bay, just in time to see Swipe standing outside the doorway with a satisfied smile on his face.

"And you thought I was gonna let you win, didn't you?" he chuckled as he saluted the Titans. Robin and the others alternately smirked and shook their heads (except Cyborg, who was busy recovering from the fact that a human just outran his car).

"It is good to see you are here, friend Swipe!" Starfire enthusiastically greeted the rogue, wrapping him up in a bonecrusher bearhug before he could even try to escape. "Have you had any of those second thoughts during your trip?"

"Grk! Thanks for the welcome... Star..f-f-fire... but I really need to.. (wheeze) need to breathe now... if my brain's gonna have _any_ thoughts!"

Starfire blushed from embarrassment and quickly released Swipe from her vicelike grip. Robin approached the coughing rogue and offered him a hand.

"Ready for the obstacle course?"

"Hang on a sec," Swipe replied before pressing his hands to his sides and counting to himself. "Feels like they're all there and intact... Okay, I'm ready."

With that, they all gathered to what could be considered the "backyard" of Titan's Tower. At first glance, it didn't look like much of an obstacle course: flat expanses of dirt, peppered with a few rocks of various sizes. No drones, no walls, no nothing.

"So... what am I supposed to do?" Swipe asked over his shoulder.

"Do the best you can," Robin replied as he pressed the START button. In an instant, several metallic columns rose from the earth and unleashed several attack drones while a few metal stumps sprouted pulse cannons. Swipe leaned forward in anticipation.

The first energy pulses had barely left the cannons' barrels when the rogue started into his run, leaving the blasts to punch three pockmarks into the ground behind him. Four drones zoomed in to pursue, but a few well-placed daggers knocked them out of the air before they could fire a shot. Just ahead, several gates pushed up through the ground and proceeded to slam their doors open and closed. Swipe gritted his teeth and timed his dashes to slip past each one. Things had gone well for the first two of these obstacles, until a pair of turrets burst up from the ground. Upon seeing this, Swipe made a noise usually associated with an injured kitten.

"Oh, to **_hell_** with this!" the rogue grunted and finally ran at full speed through the remaining gates, consequently causing the two turrets to blast each other as he passed. He glanced over to the Titans, "Could one of you please tell me that there's a _finish line somewhere around here!_"

"Just a little further!" Robin called back as he tapped a few more buttons on the control panel, thus summoning the final test. Cyborg's latest addition emerged from an underground holding bay, an expressionless chrome android that was half again taller than a normal human with an intimidating pair of steel wrecking balls at the ends of its arms. Swipe made the same noise that he did before, only longer and higher-pitched.

"He's tryin' to kill me..." he breathed to himself before turning towards the Titans' leader. **"_You're tryin' to KILL ME!"_**

"I have the faith in you, friend Swipe! You can do it!" Starfire cheered, waving both arms around. Terra barely had time to dodge a wild swing, as did Beast Boy.

"Yeah, come on, Swipe! If I can do it, so can you!" the blonde girl joined in, still keeping an eye on Starfire.

Cyborg and Beast Boy soon joined in with their own words of encouragement, with Raven simply giving the rogue an encouraging nod. Swipe drew his daggers and swallowed hard, awaiting his opponent's first move. The android lurched forward and lashed out with a wrecking ball, only to succeed in making a huge crater in the ground where Swipe once stood. The thief had leapt and rolled away from the attack, but found the other ball bearing down on his head. Desperate to end the fight quickly, Swipe made a run for the robot's legs and tried to slash at its joints. The attack struck true, sending blue-white sparks flying everywhere.

With its balance compromised, the combat droid flailed its arms and double-slammed them into the ground. The shockwave threw the rogue off his feet and into a nearby boulder. There was a collective gasp as everything went still for a short moment...

Through the cloud of dust, a small silhouette could be seen rising from where it had landed. In a flash, Swipe was racing up the robot's arm and perched himself on the thing's back. With a fierce scream, the rogue rapidly stabbed both daggers into his enemy's head. A few sputters and twitches later, the android finally fell to the ground in a deactivated heap. Swipe rolled off the machine and dragged himself across the finish line before promptly collapsing onto his stomach in exhaustion.

"Am I done now...?"

* * *

Swipe was led by the Titans back to their main room, where he gladly accepted a soda from Robin. "So.. I did good, right?"

"Better than good. You tied the record, and that one was set before Cyborg's modifications."

"Heh. Lucky me..."

Cyborg, in the meantime, was still grousing over his creation, "You didn't have to be so hard on it, though. D'you realize I worked on that for three months?"

The rogue answered sarcastically, "Sorry, dude, but I was kinda fighting for my life out there! Besides, I only severed the wires that went to its power core an' CPU. At least, I _think_ I did... But if you need help repairing it, I'll be glad to try helpin' ya!"

That remark nonetheless elicited another anguished groan from the half-robot as he searched out some chips in the kitchen's pantry. The others laughed good-naturedly on their way to join him, leaving Swipe on the couch to regain his strength. However, the rogue spotted an unattended communicator laying on the table in front of him. He glanced over his shoulder to ensure he was alone and, in the blink of an eye, snatched the device up and stuffed it into his back pocket. The Titans returned soon after and only saw Swipe scratching his back.

"Hey, I thank you guys for yer hospitality and all, but I've gotta get my 'shopping' done."

Robin nodded, "Still not ready to join?"

Swipe scratched the back of his head, "Nah... I'll have to think about it some more. Don't get me wrong! You're a great buncha guys and all..."

"It's all right. If you should ever change your mind, we'll keep the door open," Robin couldn't hold back a snicker. "Unless you'd rather try picking the lock?"

"Ha ha," the rogue deadpanned. "All the comedians outta work and _he's_ crackin' jokes. How do you guys put up with this?"

Cyborg ruffled Robin's spiky hair, "We manage somehow. Hey, keep in touch, all right? After all, I might just take you up on your offer."

Swipe gave Cyborg a salute, "I'll do my best. Maybe next time, I'll bring my karaoke machine. Hope you guys don't mind Eighties music."

Raven rolled her eyes briefly, "Go ahead and knock yourself out. I'll just watch."

The rogue finished saying his goodbyes to the group, noting Beast Boy's suggestion of bringing a copy of "Macho Man". However, he noticed someone was missing.

"Hey, where's Blondie? I don't think I ever caught her name."

"Oh, you mean Terra?" Beast Boy answered. "She said somethin' about setting a tape for some TV show tonight. I guess she went to her room."

Swipe shrugged, "Well, I'd better not bug 'er, then. See ya 'round, Titans!"

"Farewell, friend Swipe! I hope we can all meet again in the near future!" Starfire called back. With a final salute, Swipe left the tower and raced back to the mall.

Once there, the rogue picked up the discarded bed frame that sat behind the furniture outlet store, along with a mattress that was leaning against the door to the stockroom. It wasn't much, but it was a start. He took the ensemble home, unaware that someone had been watching him the whole time...

"Jinxie, I'm home! Where're you at?"

Jinx poked her head through the bedroom door. Judging by the towel-turban she was currently wearing, she had just gotten out of the shower. She called out, "Back here, Swipe. Where have you been all this time?"

"Ohh... shopping. For something."

There was some rustling behind the door as Jinx got changed, "Something? Something like what?"

"Come on out and look! When you're decent, that is."

The sorceress finally emerged, fully clothed, and walked into the living room. Upon seeing the bed frame and mattress, she grinned and asked her friend, "So I guess this means no more nights on the couch?"

"Hey, I want you to be comfortable."

Jinx gave Swipe a quick, one-armed hug around the shoulders, "Thank you.. But, where will you put it?"

"Leave that to me," the rogue replied with a wink.

The project would've taken a normal person most of the day. For Swipe, it was done in an hour. He set up the bed in the far corner of the kitchen, adding two sets of shower curtains for privacy. With his daggers, he quickly carved a door-shaped hole in the wall to allow access to a bathroom that had previously been unused and created a walk-through closet in the process.

Jinx checked out the finished work and smiled approvingly, "This is perfect! Now I have a place to put the rest of my clothes!"

"Glad to be of service to ya. Say, are you free tonight by any chance?"

"Like there's anything else I could do?" the sorceress replied sarcastically. "Why do you ask, anyway?"

"Well, there's this place I'd like to show you. A little dance club called 'The Retro Zone'."

Jinx arched an eyebrow, "Why, Swipe. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were asking me out."

This put a good shade of red on the rogue's cheeks, "Well, hey... ya know... I- I've got a gig there."

"You mean, you _work_ there? What about your life of theivery?"

"Only when I need to, and only what I need."

Jinx smirked and shook her head, "You never cease to amaze me. Well then, in that case, I should look my best tonight."

As they talked, neither of them noticed the shadow that was listening to them. After a few more minutes, the eavesdropper slunk away from the motel and clicked on a communicator.

"I know where they'll be tonight. Shall I try for a capture?"

"No. I will handle that myself. Continue to follow them for now, my apprentice. We wouldn't want to attract any unwanted attention."

_**End of Chapter 7**_

_**In Chapter 8:** Swipe and Jinx dance the night away at The Retro Zone, and find that another duo have decided to take a break from their work. Unfortunately, every party has its poopers..._


	8. Boogie Night : Part 1

"Swipe" by Ed Alger aka "SecondLevelWriter"

Note: The song "Any Way You Want It" is performed by (and likely property of) Journey. "Round and Round", while only mentioned here, is performed by Ratt. All song lyrics are center-justified and in italics. You'll know 'em when you see 'em.

Chapter 8  
Boogie Night - Part 1

Swipe paced back and forth across the living room, glancing nervously at the clock with every other lap. Although he could make it to the club in under five minutes, he had only made that run without a passenger.

"Uhm, Jinxie? Are you almost done in there?"

The rustling behind Jinx's bedroom curtains continued, "Have some patience, Swipe. It's a virtue. I'm just about ready."

After a few more minutes, Jinx parted the curtains open and stepped out. She was dressed in a purple, sleeveless silk dress that ended just below the knees, along with her black tennis shoes. She giggled a little to herself when she saw Swipe's reaction, as the rogue's jaw had all but hit the floor. The sorceress advanced toward her friend and closed his mouth with her index finger and asked him, "Shall we go, or would you rather stand in a puddle of your own drool?"

Swipe absently nodded his reply, making no other movement or attempts to coherently speak. Jinx took it upon herself to bring the bedazzled thief back to his senses by taking his hand and pulling him towards the door.

"Come on, K.F.! Can't - keep - the fans - waiting!" she urged between tugs.

After a few snaps of the sorceress's fingers in front of his face, Swipe finally blinked out of his trance and shook his head vigorously, "Wha-- Oh, right, the gig! Hold on, we're gonna kick up some dust!"

With that as the only warning, Swipe went into a full run and burst out of the front door with a hapless Jinx in tow. The girl screamed wildly as she gripped Swipe's hand for dear life while he rounded corners and shot down alleys at lightning speed. Thankfully for her, the club soon came into view and her friend was already starting to slow down. Soon, she was able to walk on her own feet again just as they reached the front doors.

"Well, here he is! We were starting to wonder if we'd ever see you again, Swipe!" a muscular gentleman wearing a red polo shirt and black slacks greeted them at the door, shaking the rogue's hand and throwing a smile towards Jinx. "And who's the lovely young lady?"

"Rick, this is my friend, Jinx. Jinx, this is Rick the Doorman, as I like to call him," Swipe gestured back and forth as he made introductions.

Rick gave Jinx a polite bow, "A pleasure to meet you, Miss Jinx. You'd better be careful of this fella. He's liable to sweep you right off your feet and take you for everything you've got." He chuckled while rogue and hex-caster alike turned bright red.

"Ex_cuse_ me, Richard! I'm only showin' her where I work, that's all!"

The doorman chuckled, "Of course it is, Swipe. I'm just bustin' your chops. Go on in, you two. Mr. Bradley's been sweating bullets since you haven't shown up in the past few days."

"Yeah, yeah. I've been... busy. I'll give 'em an extra-good show tonight to make up for it, though."

"Break a leg, Swipester," Rick answered before turning to the sorceress. "Enjoy the show, Jinx. He looks fired up tonight."

Jinx chuckled a little, "I'm sure I will. This should be very interesting. Nice meeting you."

After a parting salute from Rick, the pair walked inside and were instantly greeted by several of Swipe's fans. The thief shook hands with many of them as he attempted to get to the stage where the band awaited his arrival. He brought Jinx to the very edge of the stage while he climbed up and greeted his friends.

"We thought the cops finally got ya for a while, there. Where've you been?" asked Jeff, the lead guitarist.

"Ran into somebody," Swipe grinned a bit and nodded towards Jinx. "Her name's Jinx. She's, uh, kinda had a rough past."

Jeff looked over, joined with Dave (the bass guitar player) and Mike (the drummer), "Whoa, cute! So this must be your first date, huh?"

Swipe tried not to make his reddening face apparent, "Hey, c'mon.. I'm just tryin' to give her a night out of the hideout. Now are we gonna play or what?"

Jeff held up a hand, "Hang on a sec. We gotta make some last-minute checks."

Dave gave his bandmate a confused look, "We took care of that MMPH!" Jeff cut off the protest by clapping his hand over the other's mouth and dragging him into a huddle with Mike and Tim (the keyboard player). Swipe watched suspiciously as his four friends conversed just out of earshot. Too bad he couldn't dash back and forth fast enough to catch the entire thing. After a minute, the four of them returned with rather untrustworthy smiles on their faces.

"All right, we're ready. First song tonight'll be 'Any Way You Want It', got it?"

Swipe already had a microphone in his hand, "Let's rock this joint." He then turned to the gathered crowd, "How y'all doin' tonight?" Everybody cheered their responses, including Jinx. "All right! For those of you new to the place, I'm Swipe. These guys are the Rock n' High Rollers, and we're gonna play it any way you want it! _1! 2! 3! 4!_"

_Any way you want it / That's the way you need it / Any way you want it_

As the opening guitar riff played, Swipe accompanied with his own air guitar playing. He then jumped to the front edge of the stage, right where Jinx was standing.

_She loves to laugh / She loves to sing / She does everything.  
__She loves to move / She loves to groove / She loves the **lovin'** things!_

Jinx had probably heard this song a dozen times already, thanks to his "rehearsing" at the hideout. As a result, she was singing the words to herself in time with Swipe. While he couldn't hear her, he could definitely see her lips moving and gave her a quick smile.

_Ooh all night/ All night/ Oh, every night!  
__So hold tight/ Ho-old tight/ Baby, hold tight._

Swipe pointed right at Jinx for the beginning of the chorus, then bounded back to the center of the stage for the rest.

_She said, "Any way you want it / That's the way you need it / Any way you want it!"  
__She said, "Any way you want it / That's the way you need it / Any way you want it!"_

Once more, Swipe walked slowly back up to the front of the stage and looked from the crowd to his friend.

_I was alone / I never knew / What good love could do._

Jinx reached her hand out briefly, knowing the next line. Swipe grinned as he continued singing and touched his fingers to hers.

_Ooh, then we touched / And we sang / About the lovin' things!  
__Oh all night/ All night/ Oh, every night!  
__So hold tight/ Ho-old tight/ Baby, hold tight.  
__She said, "Any way you want it / That's the way you need it / Any way you want it."  
__I said, "Any way you want it / That's the way you need it / Any way you want it."_

Swipe spun around and pointed to the lead guitarist, shouting, "Take it, Jeff!"

As Jeff played the guitar solo, Swipe re-joined him for more air guitar, and both began to mimic each other. Jinx had started to really get into the show, clapping along and singing as loud as she could while a bright smile showed on her face the whole time.

_She said, "Ho-o-o-old / Hold on! Hold on! Ho-o-old on!"  
__Oh! Any way you want it / That's the way you need it / Any way you want it!  
__Any way you want it / That's the way you need it / Any way you want it!  
__She said, "Any way you want it / That's the way you need it / Any way you want it!"_

With one final "Bah-boom", the song was over and the place practically exploded with applause. Swipe and the band all bowed once before the rogue picked up the mic again, "Thank you! Thank you very much. Now, we got another song, and..." He was cut off by Jeff tapping on his shoulder, "What? What's up?"

Holding the microphone away, the guitarist whispered into Swipe's ear, "We'll do the next song. You should go down and dance with her this time. This is your date, after all." Swipe was about to protest, but Jeff had already put his hand up to stop him.

"Fine, you win... What song're you gonna do?"

"Round and Round."

"Nice. All right," the rogue turned back to address the audience. "This one's gonna be done by the Rollers, and it's called 'Round and Round'. So, when I hit the floor, you guys hit it!" With that, he hung the microphone up and asked for a clear spot right in front of the stage. He then hopped down beside Jinx and beckoned her over to whisper in her ear.

"I know you said you don't like dancin', but... well... would you like to give it one more try?"

Jinx blushed a bit but whispered back, "Sure. One more try."

Swipe had a lopsided smile on his face as he led her to the middle of the floor, just in time to notice two familiar faces walk through the door. He guessed that even superheroes need some time to themselves. Since the next song was about to start, the thief chose to save the greetings for later and took Jinx's hand.

"This one's a little fast. You okay with that?"

"I'll manage," she smirked back. "In fact, you might end up having to keep up with me."

_**End of Chapter 8**_

_**In Chapter 9: **Jinx and Swipe seem to be having the time of their lives, and another couple are about to join them! But, what of the party pooper mentioned in the previous chapter's preview? Patience, my reader, patience._


	9. Boogie Night : Part 2

"Swipe" by Ed Alger, aka "SecondLevelWriter"

Author's Notes: All disclaimers from previous chapters still apply for this one. Also, Round and Round is performed (and likely written) by Ratt. Artist names could not be acquired, but I still go on record as saying that I don't own this song.

Chapter 9  
Boogie Night - Part 2

Robin and Starfire had just entered the club as the band was nearing the end of their first song. The Tamaranean was quick to spot Swipe on the stage, while her friend noticed that Jinx was right up front as well. With no tables available, the pair simply stood at the back of the crowd and watched. It wouldn't take long for Starfire's toes to start tapping to the music.

"This music is quite uplifting! What is it called?"

"I think they call it 'Classic Rock' now," Robin answered before giving a slight chuckle. "Looks like our friend is quite a singer."

It was then that Swipe leapt from the stage and took Jinx by the hand, leading her to the dance floor. Robin and Starfire exchanged "let's dance" looks and made their way over to join in. Swipe noticed them out of the corner of his eye and decided greetings didn't have to wait, after all.

"Well, look who's here! I never would've expected to see you two here in the club!"

"Let's just say we needed a change of scenery tonight," the Teen Titans' leader smirked as he nodded his greeting to the other pair.

Jinx seemed uneasy to be so close to two of her mostly-former enemies, especially Robin. She kept quiet as the others talked, tightening her grip on her friend's hands. Swipe gave her hands a reassuring squeeze in return to let her know he had everything under control.

"Robin wanted to do the checking out of this new dance club," Starfire explained quickly. "It is a surprise to see you working as a performer!"

The band had begun playing the opening riffs of the next song, prompting Swipe to abruptly end the conversation. The rogue gave the other couple a quick nod to say, "We'll talk later." Much of the crowd had already made room for both couples, which soon inspired the rogue. As Jeff began singing the song, Swipe ducked behind a rather confused Jinx. With each line of the song, the rogue popped up over alternating shoulders as he lip-synced the words himself.

_Out on the streets, that's where we'll meet.  
__You make the night. I always cross the line.  
__Tightened our belts, abused ourselves.  
__Get in our way, we'll put you on your shelf._

Swipe pointed over Jinx's right shoulder to nobody in particular for the last line as he swiftly came back around front. Robin and Starfire watched with amused smiles on their faces at the performance.

_Another day, some other way,  
__We're gonna go, but then we'll see you again.  
__I've had enough! We've had enough._

Jinx playfully pushed her friend away at this point, before she rhythmically stepped back to him while she swished her dress back and forth and did some lip-syncing of her own.

_Cold in vain, she said...  
__"I knew right from the beginning  
__that you would end up winnin'.  
__I knew right from the start  
__you'd put an arrow through my heart!"_

Jinx placed her hands on Swipe's shoulders, still singing along to the music as she put her right hand over her heart for the last line. Swipe could only grin as he watched her, setting his hands on her waist and picking her up into the air with a twirling flourish for the chorus.

_Round and round!  
__With love, we'll find a way, just give it time.  
__Round and round!  
__What comes around, goes around. I'll tell you why!_

Starfire looked expectantly at Robin, who gave a return smirk of understanding. Clasping hands, they joined the other pair in the middle of the dance floor with their own whirling dance maneuvers. Jinx flashed a grin to Swipe, who quickly picked up the hint and nodded his answer. The sorceress suddenly backflipped out of Swipe's arms, doing a few handsprings before being caught again by the fast-moving rogue. Robin and Starfire soon answered by spinning each other around like a two-person top.

_Lookin' at you, lookin' at me  
__The way you move, you know it's easy to see  
__The neon light's on me tonight  
__I've got a way, we're gonna prove it tonight  
__Like Romeo to Juliet  
__Time and time, I'm gonna make you mine  
__I've had enough, we've had enough  
__It's all the same, she said_

Not to be outdone, Swipe gestured for Jinx to get onto his shoulders. She agreed to it, but not before she added her own suggestion. Starfire and Robin could only watch in curiosity as the sorceress climbed onto her partner and signaled for his hands. Amid the applause they were already getting, the duo went one better as Jinx performed a handstand high above the crowds before letting herself fall back into Swipe's arms again.

Upon completion of the maneuver, they found that their friendly rivals had performed a similar stunt. The only difference was that Starfire was holding Robin up with only one hand. Swipe attempted to protest that the Tamaranean possessed more strength than either himself or Jinx, but was only answered with a pair of stuck-out tongues.

_I knew right from the beginning  
__That you would end up winnin'  
__I knew right from the start  
__You'd put an arrow through my heart_

Jinx hopped to her feet and started nudging Swipe backwards, still singing along with the music. Starfire soon picked up on the idea and mirrored the action with Robin, until both were back-to-back with each other. The sorceress then leapt back a few paces and conjured an arrow made of magical energy. She took careful aim and "shot" is towards her partner's chest, dispelling it just before impact. An overexcited Starfire was about to mimic the move before Robin frantically pointed out that starbolts are not the same as Jinx's magic.

_Round and round  
__With love we'll find a way just give it time  
__Round and round  
__What comes around goes around  
__I'll tell you why_

For the reprise of the first verse and the final chorus after it, the two girls raced back to their respective partners and leapt into their arms to spin around and around as fast as they could possibly stand it. Both couples became nearly blurs as they spun, while the crowds cheered wildly for them. At long last, for the song's finish, they all collapsed into a large heap at the center of the floor while everyone in the club erupted into a fresh round of applause.

Swipe was the first to pick himself up, "Right, let's call it a draw."

Robin was up soon after, "No way! We totally beat you!"

"I beg to differ! Listen to the crowds, they're cheerin' for all of us!"

Starfire got to her feet next and interjected, "Actually, I agree with Swipe. We were evenly matched."

"There, see? That's two votes!"

"I still say we did better."

"Will you two give it a rest?" Jinx finally chimed in. "Besides, it was all in fun... and I never would've believed how good you two are at dancing," she grinned at the other couple.

In the meantime, Tim started to play a soft intro on the keyboard as the lights dimmed a bit, "We're gonna slow things down now. Swipe, you stay out there, all right? This next song's another one from Journey, called 'Open Arms'."

_**End of Chapter 9**_

_**In Chapter 10** - Run for your lives, people! It's about to get mushy in here! Need I say more?_


	10. Boogie Night : Part 3

"Swipe" by Ed Alger a.k.a. "SecondLevelWriter"

Author's notes: All disclaimers from the past chapters still apply here. "Open Arms" is originally performed by Journey. Go buy one of their CDs. :)

Chapter 10  
Boogie Night - Part 3

_'You bastards.'_

Swipe could only smirk and shake his head at his bandmates, knowing full well that this was being done on purpose. Well, if it's a show they want, then a show they will get.

Jinx tugged at the shoulder of Swipe's t-shirt, "Are we going to do this?"

The rogue looked over to his friend with a hint of a grin, "If it's okay with you."

The sorceress grinned back and gave a nod, "Sure. I don't mind at all." She then placed her hands upon his shoulders while he set his hands on her waist, their cheeks already beginning to tinge pink.

Robin nudged Starfire towards the edge of the dance floor, suggesting that they should be alone for this number. They and the rest of the crowd fell silent as they watched on, while the entire dance area became bathed in a soft blue light and the song began in earnest.

_Lying beside you / here in the dark / feeling your heart beat with mine  
__Softly you whisper / you're so sincere / How could our love be so blind?_

The two dancers moved slowly at first, taking only a few steps back and forth. As the music began to crescendo, their movements became more pronounced, taking longer steps together in their makeshift waltz until Swipe took her hand and twirled her around for the chorus.

_We sailed together / We drifted apart / And here you are by my side._

_So now I come to you, with o-pen arms! Nothing to hide, believe what I say.  
__So here I am with o-pen arms! Hoping you'll see what your love means to me.  
__Open arms_

Through the chorus, Jinx found herself looking deep into Swipe's hazel eyes while she felt her own begin to well up with a few tears. Over the past few days, this guy had done everything but bend over backwards to help her forget her past troubles. He made her laugh, gave her a home, and a renewed reason to live again. She came to realize that he was right all along. She needed this second chance, and she was grateful that he had granted that for her.

Swipe, meanwhile, was similarly becoming lost in Jinx's shimmering lavender eyes. Ever since he had saved the girl from her own depression, he put everything he could into at least making her smile again. His eyes drifted from hers to take in all of her face, noticing for the third time since he saved her just how pretty she was. A thought suddenly struck him as he admired the hex-caster: Was he really falling for her?

_Living without you, living alone. This empty house seems so cold.  
__Wanting to hold you, wanting you near. How much I wanted you home.  
__But now that you've come back  
__Turned night into day  
__I – need you to stay._

A tightness filled Jinx's chest as she smiled up to Swipe, a feeling that the rogue was also experiencing. As the music swelled towards the chorus once again, the sorceress let her arms slowly drift from her partner's shoulders to around the back of his neck and rested her head on his right shoulder.

"I want to thank you, Swipe… for everything you've done…" she whispered.

The rogue swallowed hard, but brought his arms all the way around her middle in a return embrace, "N- No problem, Jinxie. I just… just want you to be happy. And no more nightmares…"

Jinx looked back up to him in surprise, "How did you know about that?"

"I could hear you when you stayed over the first night. You were tossing an' turning an awful lot, and… crying."

Jinx lowered her eyes and pressed her head to Swipe's shoulder again, "I was scared. I… don't like… to be alone."

"I hope you'll never be alone again, then."

_So now I come to you, with o-pen arms. Nothing to hide, believe what I say.  
__So here I am, with o-pen arms. Hoping you'll see what your love means to me.  
__Open arms…_

Starfire sighed dreamily as she watched the couple slow-dance, leaning a little into Robin's side, "They look so good together, do they not?"

Robin nodded once, "Beast Boy and I told you that there was nothing to worry about with Jinx. Sometimes, fate will lend a hand to make things right again."

"I hope this 'fate' continues to work in their favor. I do not wish for such a thing to happen again."

The former Boy Wonder patted his friend's shoulder, "I'm sure it will, Star. I'm sure it will."

Through the final refrain of the song, many members of the audience were already applauding the couple. Swipe paid little attention to them, however. Instead, he continued to hold the sorceress in his arms even after the music had long since ended and the lights slowly came up again. Only Jeff's voice calling for him brought the rogue out of his trance.

"Okay, Loverboy! We need you back up on the stage for the next number! Let's go!"

Jinx slowly broke their embrace, a dark shade of pink tinting her cheeks, "Sounds like you need to get back to work now. Knock 'em dead, K.F."

Swipe smiled softly and nodded a silent agreement before he turned back to the stage. He then gestured for a clear runway before taking a running leap onto the platform and grabbing the microphone again.

"So, you guys liked that, huh?" he asked the congregation. A loud roar of cheers and applause was his quick answer. "Hah, I thought so. Well, we can't be all soft an' mushy all the time. This next one's by Bon Jovi, and it's… ah… not aimed towards anybody in particular."

With everyone's attention now focused back on the band and Swipe, nobody noticed the dark figure slipping in through the front door and quickly taking a seat in a dark corner of the club.

_**End of Chapter 10**_

_**In Chapter 11 – **It seems the party pooper has officially arrived. The next song might not appeal to everybody's tastes, either…_


	11. Boogie Night : Part 4

"Swipe" by Ed Alger a.k.a. "SecondLevelWriter"

Author's Notes: "You Give Love a Bad Name" is by Bon Jovi. This is the last song for a while. All other disclaimers from past chapters still apply here.

Chapter 11  
Boogie Night – Part 4

_Shot through the heart, and you're to blame! Darlin', you give love a bad name!_

Mike clacked out the beat on his drumsticks before hammering on the drums while Jeff accompanied him on guitar. With his back to the audience, Swipe held his fist up high and pumped it up and down in time with the rhythm. Of course, it wouldn't take long for the crowd (Jinx, Starfire, and Robin included) to follow suit. After the opening riff, Swipe spun around and started singing.

_An angel's smile is what you sell  
__you promise me heaven, then put me through hell  
__Chains of love, got a hold on me  
__when passion's a prison, you can't break free_

The lone figure at the back was the only one not clapping or singing along. Instead, she was secretly informing her master about Swipe's whereabouts and who was with him.

"When should I move in?"

"Not yet, my apprentice. Continue to observe him until I arrive. I want to speak with our prospective partner personally."

"Yes, sir," she replied before clicking off the communicator and returning to her duties.

_Who-oa! You're a loaded gun  
__Yeah, who-oa... There's nowhere to run. No one can save me.  
__The damage is done!_

_Shot through the heart and you're to blame!  
__You give love a bad name.  
__I play my part and you play your game!  
__You give love a bad name  
__You give love… a bad name_

Slade's apprentice jerked a bit at the words of the chorus. She looked up in surprise at the on-stage rogue, how could he know about her? No, it's just a coincidence. It has to be. But… it seems like every time he sings those words, he's pointing _right at her_. He couldn't possibly know that she's a…

_'No, don't even think that. He doesn't know about me, or even my feelings for Beast Boy. I'm not like that at all. I don't… I wouldn't… '_

The words still gnawed at her, causing the girl to clutch the sides of her head in an effort to silence them. Through the second verse and its chorus, her temper continued to flare up until her eyes started to briefly flicker with a yellow energy.

_You paint that smile on your lips  
__blood red nails on your fingertips  
__A school boy's dream, you act so shy  
__Your very first kiss was your first kiss goodbye_

_Who-oa! You're a loaded gun.  
__Who-oa, there's nowhere to run!  
__No one can save me. The damage is done!  
__Shot through the heart and you're to blame!  
__You give love a bad name.  
__I play my part and you play your game!  
__You give love a bad name.  
__You give love... What the-?_

The singing suddenly came to a halt as the whole club started shaking. The crowd looked up fearfully while tiny cracks formed in the walls and ceiling. Panic was setting in quickly, but Swipe was thinking more quickly.

"Okay, everyone, stay calm! We've got two emergency exits on either side of the stage. You guys in the back, go out the main doors," he instructed the masses before leaping down from the stage. "Robin and Starfire, help these folks up front. Jinx, stick with me. We're going out the front doors."

All three nodded in compliance and split up. Through the confusion, nobody noticed the dark figure that had slipped in was already out of the building. In no time, the club was evacuated without incident and Swipe and Jinx met up with the two Titans outside the building.

"Somebody mind telling me what the hell that was all about?" the rogue demanded.

Robin shook his head once, a puzzled look crossing his face, "That tremor looked like it was centered right on the club. Look, none of the other buildings even have a scratch."

"Perhaps it was another of those burrowing robots that Slade sent after us?" Starfire suggested.

"Hard to say, although I could've sworn we wiped all of them out last time. The only other explanation would be…" Robin trailed off as another thought struck him.

Swipe read the Titan leader's face, "Blondie?" He was merely guessing, since Terra was the only one whose powers he hadn't seen.

During the conversation, Jinx was called aside by Rick. He informed the sorceress of what he had seen shortly after the quake shook the club. After thanking the doorman, Jinx ran back to the group.

"Rick says that he saw someone running off that way just after the tremors started. He says it was a girl, but he couldn't make out any facial features and she was wearing a black jumpsuit," she relayed the information to her friends.

Robin furrowed his brow, "It couldn't be Terra. She would've told us where she was going. At the very least, she would've told Beast Boy."

Starfire giggled a bit, "He would have insisted to accompany her, as well. Those two are like two glagnoks in a zurth pod!"

Jinx only smiled before she suggested, "So, should we try splitting up and looking for this girl?"

The Titans' leader tapped his chin in thought, "I'm not sure if we'll be able to find her now. Even with Starfire searching from the air, we won't know where to start looking."

The rogue waggled his index finger, "You forget, Robs, that I can outrun an Indy car. Whoever this person is, she couldn't possibly make it back to her home before I get to her. If we find her, we'll let you know."

Robin nodded, "Be careful, you two. None of us know who you might be going up against."

"Yes, please stay safe, both of you!" the Tamaranean added, taking Swipe's and Jinx's hands. "This has been a glorious night that I would like to repeat in the future!"

The couple smiled, with Swipe speaking up first, "We had fun tonight, too, Sweetcheeks. Good night, you two. We'll be in touch."

Jinx nodded and grinned, "I never dreamed that the Teen Titans had such good dancers in their team." Her remark caused both Titans to flush slightly.

With all goodnights said, both pairs went their separate ways to not only search for the mystery person but to also get to their homes. During their walk, Jinx elbowed Swipe.

"You're not a bad dancer, yourself," she chuckled. "And you sure love those 80s songs."

"I _am_ a child of the Eighties, after all," Swipe replied.

"I don't think November or December of 1989 really counts."

"It's close enough!"

Both of them laughed a little, until a sharp gasp from Jinx cut off the conversation. Swipe looked around in confusion as Jinx ducked behind him, and found an imposing figure of a man standing a few yards away. He wore jet-black armor adorned with a silvery chest plate and three more plates covering each leg. His helmet/mask was the most disconcerting, a featureless half-black, half-orange mask that only revealed the left eye, with four breathing slits serving as a mouth. Swipe already had a good idea of who he was staring down.

"Slade, I presume?"

_**End of Chapter 11**_

_**In Chapter 12**- The criminal mastermind finally makes his move and attempts to recruit Swipe as his second apprentice. Will the rogue turn to the dark side?_


	12. Parley?

"Swipe" by Ed Alger a.k.a. "SecondLevelWriter"

Author's notes: If you've read the past 11 chapters, then you should know the drill by now. Disclaimers still apply. Limited time offer. Call now, our operators are standing by.

Chapter 12  
Parley?

"You must be Swipe. I've heard so much about you," Slade spoke with his usual flat tone, his gaze never straying from the rogue.

Swipe quirked an eyebrow, "Is that so? And all this time, I thought the media only knew me as the anonymous burglar who was terrorizing our glorious senator."

"The media? With my training, the entire _world_ will know you as one of the greatest thieves of all time. You could even have this city right in the palm of your hand."

"Keep talking…" Swipe brought a hand around his back, prompting Jinx to take a hold and squeeze it with all the might she had.

"What more is there to talk about? Money, power, everything you ever wanted... I can give you these things and more, Swipe. You have the talent, I've seen it myself. All you need now is to refine your skills and rise above being a simple cat burglar."

_"He could kill you if you ever crossed him,"_ Jinx whispered over the thief's shoulder.

Pretending not to hear her, Swipe rubbed his chin thoughtfully, "Sounds interesting enough. I was never interested in cats, anyways… All I want to know is; what's the catch?"

"No catch," the criminal mastermind replied as he advanced upon the pair. Swipe could feel Jinx trying to shrink even more behind him while Slade continued, "All you have to do is say 'yes', and you'll be able to steal anything you desire without ever being seen."

"Hmmm… This is quite tempting, I must say. Although, what's the fun in having all the cheat codes when you haven't even beaten the game yet?"

Slade's eye narrowed, "Is that what you think this is, Swipe? Just a game?"

"Random encounters, obstacles, traps, boss battles… Yeah, I'd say so."

_"Get ready, Jinxie…" _the rogue murmured back over his shoulder. He felt his hand being squeezed even harder, if such a thing were possible.

"Just remember, in this game, you only get _one_ life," Slade said menacingly as he drew ever closer.

Swipe tensed up and gave Jinx's hand a reassuring squeeze, "Then I'd better make the most of it, eh? If you don't mind, I'd like to sleep on your offer. It's getting rather late and the little lady here has had a long night as it is. But don't worry; I'll keep your offer in mind. Toodles!"

Before Slade could answer, Swipe sped off into the back alleys. The crime lord merely stood and watched for a moment before turning to the communicator on his armlet.

"He's on his way. Is the sentry camera in place?"

"Yes, sir," the voice of his apprentice crackled through the speaker. "I see him coming now and I'm already leaving the area."

"Excellent. You do realize that you would have had more time if you hadn't had that little emotional outburst at the club, don't you?"

"I – I'm sorry, sir…"

"Just make sure this doesn't happen again. I wouldn't want your feelings getting in the way of our mission when the time comes. Return to the tower and wait for my next command."

"Understood."

Slade switched off the communicator and gazed back in the direction of the departing rogue, "It seems that I'll have to use more persuasive measures in our next meeting, and I think I know just the way to do it."

Meanwhile, Swipe and Jinx raced inside the motel and bolted the door. The rogue chuckled to himself, still giddy from the adrenaline rush, while the hex-caster gradually released her grip on his hand.

"Well, that was rather exciting," he remarked before glancing to his friend."Are you okay, Jinxie? I've never seen you like that before…"

Jinx nodded once, trying to shake off the anxiety, "I'll be fine."

"But, you're still shaking. Are you sure you're okay?"

The girl remained silent, looking off to the side. Swipe placed his hand on her shoulder and gave her a gentle squeeze.

"You don't have to say, if you don't want to. But, if something's bothering you, I really want to try to help you. I wanna see you smile again, Jinxie."

Jinx looked up with a blush on her cheeks and did indeed smile as Swipe added, "I like that smile, after all."

The sorceress brought her arms around his middle and squeezed him tightly, "You're just too good for your own good, you know that?"

Swipe returned the hug around her shoulders, "Yeah, yeah. I still ain't no angel, though."

There was a moment of silence as Jinx nestled her head against Swipe's shoulder. The rogue never said another word, as he was starting to enjoy this little bit of closeness.

"I'm… afraid of him," the hex-caster finally said.

"Afraid of who? Slade?"

Jinx nodded, "I could only face him when I was with Mammoth and Gizmo. Deep inside, though, I feared his power. I feared what he could do to us… to _me_…"

The thief patted Jinx's back, "Well, he's not gonna do anything to you now. I won't let him."

"I know…" she murmured back, yawning just a little bit.

Swipe started to slowly guide his friend to the bedrooms, making sure not to break their embrace, "Sounds like it's time to get some rest. We'll need it for tomorrow night."

Jinx opened the curtain to her bed once they got there and asked, "Why? What're we doing tomorrow night?"

Swipe replied murkily, "The same thing we do every night, Jinxie. Try and take over the world!"

The curtain closed so that the sorceress could change into her nightgown, "Very funny, 'Brain'. I mean it, though. What's going on tomorrow night?"

"We're visiting the senator's mansion. I want to leave him a message along with an empty refrigerator."

Jinx opened the curtain again, now clad in a long, pastel blue nightgown, "Can I tag along? I do have some experience with breaking and entering, after all."

Swipe nodded, "Sure, I could use the company." He gave her one last hug goodnight, which she gladly returned, "G'night, Jinxie. Sweet dreams this time, okay?"

Jinx sneaked a quick peck to the rogue's cheek, "I just might. Sleep well, Swipe." She then trotted lightly back to her bed and closed the curtain again, leaving Swipe holding his bright red cheek while his eyes became as big as saucers.

_**End of Chapter 12**_

_**In Chapter 13 –** Swipe raids Senator Goodson's mansion once more, this time inviting his lovely assistant, Jinx, for the ride. However, other forces are now at work that could very well bring the rogue's lucky streak to a screeching halt. Will Swipe get his message across, or will he be thrown into the hoosegow… or worse?_

**Author's post-notes: **A friend pointed out after I posted Chapters 10 & 11 that I never described what Robin and Starfire were wearing at the club. I figured I'd leave that up to the reader, although I envisioned that Star would likely wear the dress she wore in "Date with Destiny". With Robin, I have no idea. He doesn't strike me as a casual dresser, but I also doubt he'd wear the tux from the aforementioned episode. Ah well, maybe I'll add that in for the special edition.


	13. Pillage the Fridge

"Swipe" by Ed Alger a.k.a. "SecondLevelWriter"

Author's Notes: The usual disclaimers still apply here. Our timeline now places us the night before the events of "Betrayal".

Chapter 13  
Pillage the Fridge

The day came and went without incident for Swipe and Jinx. Both were making preparations for the impending raid on Senator Goodson's unsuspecting kitchen; the rogue was inspecting his tools and picks to make sure they were in perfect condition while the hex-caster meditated for a short time to keep her mind clear. They also kept tabs on the stolen Titans' communicator to make sure there wouldn't be any unforeseen interruptions.

"I still can't believe you were able to get away with one of these things," Jinx remarked to her friend.

"So'm I, to be honest," Swipe replied as he holstered his daggers. "I wonder who it belonged to. Robin never did ask about it last night, either. I figure _some_one's gotta be missing it by now."

Jinx picked up the item in question and stuffed it into Swipe's back pocket, "If anyone asks, you found it just laying on the ground."

The rogue smirked, "Sounds like I'm starting to rub off on you."

The sorceress winked back, "If only you knew… Shall we be going now?"

"Of course," he opened the front door and gestured for her. "Ladies first."

And with that, they were on their way. The streets were empty by this time of the night, so they were able to get to the mansion unnoticed. That is, if you don't count the surveillance camera.

As he observed the couple leaving, Slade accessed a phone line and dialed a number, "Hello, Senator Goodson? Yes, I am quite aware of the time. … Who am I? Just a concerned citizen with a warning…"

Meanwhile, Swipe was carefully prying loose the pane of glass that he had found so many nights before. Jinx watched anxiously over his shoulder, throwing backward glances every so often to check for cars. In no time, the glass popped free and the window was quickly opened. The pair crawled inside, making sure to make absolutely no noise.

"First item of business," Swipe reminded himself on his way to the fridge. Before he got into the food, he grabbed a marker and wrote a brief message on the wall beside it: "Don't need another mall!"

Jinx kept to the doorway, watching closely for investigators. After checking back to make sure Swipe was okay, she took a few exploratory steps into the dining room. She looked around the dining table, picking up some of the pieces of silverware and setting them back down again. One spoon, however, barely brushed against the ceramic plate. The soft clink it made sounded deafening to her ears, and likely to Swipe's as well.

The rogue had nearly finished loading up his sack when he heard a noise in the dining room. He hastily shoved the door closed and dashed to the doorway. Jinx looked up at him fearfully before the lights suddenly came on, momentarily blinding both of them.

"I knew it. You- You're not getting away from me _this_ time."

Swipe blinked a few times to clear his vision and saw the senator in a gray robe, slippers, and shakily holding a pistol with both hands. Jinx backed away as Goodson leveled his weapon at her, while her hands started to glow pink in preparation. The rogue wasted no time in dashing quickly in front of Jinx and nabbing her by the arm just as Goodson's trembling fingers accidentally pulled the trigger.

A single bullet nicked Swipe's left shoulder, but it certainly wasn't enough to stop him. He pulled his friend back into the kitchen with the angry senator in hot pursuit. Just as he took aim for another shot, Swipe threw a knife into the wall next to Goodson to make him flinch. The sorceress followed up with a quick spell of her own, causing the senator's weapon to jam at the last second.

Now with enough time to escape, Swipe helped Jinx out of the window before he climbed out himself with the bag of food in tow. The rogue took his friend's hand tightly and started running as fast as his waning strength could allow. After four blocks, he had to stop and duck into an alley to catch his breath.

"We… We _made_ it…" Jinx panted.

"Barely… What were you doing back there?" Swipe demanded.

"I just… wanted to make sure nobody was coming."

"You could've been killed! Why didn't you just stick to the doorway?"

The sorceress became flustered, "You wanted me to be the lookout, so I was looking out! I didn't think the noise was that loud for him to hear, anyway!"

"Jinx, the senator's got security beacons all over that mansion. It's not a good idea to go roaming that place!"

"Well, why didn't you tell me in the _first_ place?"

"It's the **senator's mansion**! Of **course** there'll be traps!"

Jinx scowled as her temper flared, "Fine then, Mr. Perfect! The next raid you do, you'll do it yourself!" She turned and stomped off, "I'm going home. See you there."

For a moment, Swipe just stood in silence and watched her leave as a dull ache built in his wounded shoulder. In that time, he started to regret snapping at her like he did. It really wasn't her fault. This was her first time in the mansion, after all. Besides, the worst that happened was him getting grazed by a stray shot. He sighed and started walking after her.

"Jinxie, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to –"

A shrill scream cut through the night air, causing the rogue's senses to go on full alert. But that wasn't just any scream, it was Jinx.

"Let _go_ of me! Swipe, HELP!"

Swipe went into a full run towards Jinx's voice. The moment he spotted an orange and black figure ahead of him, the thief forced himself to run even faster until a slab of rock burst up from the ground in front of him. He practically bounced off of the obstacle and was sent sprawling to the sidewalk. Looking up, he saw that Slade had his arm tightly around Jinx's neck and her arms were held behind her back. Beside him stood his apprentice, her features still unidentifiable thanks to her full bodysuit.

"Let her go, Slade!" the rogue demanded as he scrambled to his feet.

"I'll let her go, only if you will be more cooperative. Meet me at the foothills at the northern edge of the city. There's some unfinished business we need to attend to."

"Like hell we do!" Swipe angrily charged the mastermind, both daggers drawn. His attack was halted by another interposing rock courtesy of the apprentice. She then raised her hand towards where Slade was standing, and a large patch of ground he and Jinx stood on broke away and floated quickly to the north. Swipe and Jinx both screamed each other's names as the sorceress was spirited away. The rogue clenched his fists while his attention turned to Slade's still-present apprentice.

"You'd be wise not to oppose Slade, especially if you value your girlfriend."

Swipe snarled, "If anything happens to Jinx, I'll make sure _both_ of you pay for it."

The girl scoffed, "I'd like to see you try. Come on!"

Both combatants assumed their battle stances, ready for the other to make the first move. The rogue would take the initiative, dashing straight for the girl with his daggers at the ready. The apprentice's hands glowed yellow to call up several cantaloupe-sized rocks to hurl at her attacker. Swipe ducked and dodged the attacks while never breaking his stride, until the last one came straight for his head.

There was a loud clang of metal striking rock, and the projectile was chopped in half. The girl's sky blue eyes widened in surprise at the sight, not figuring Swipe had that kind of strength.

The rogue smirked at his opponent, "Pretty neat, eh?" He held up both daggers and admired them briefly, "Steel daggers alchemically coated with adamantine. The only ones of their kind, from what I've heard, an' they're the first really valuable things I ever stole. It's kinda funny, though... I heard that these things were made sometime in the dark ages 'r something, but nobody from _this_ era has even come close to duplicating them."

"Let's see you cut your way out of _this..._" the girl retorted, narrowing her eyes as she raised her arms to strike again.

Slade's voice cut her off, "The trap is set. Return to the cave, and make sure you are followed."

"But, I can handle this guy myself! I could bring him to you once I've-"

"Do not question my orders, apprentice," the girl's master interrupted. "And don't worry, you'll have your chance."

The girl barely had time to acknowledge the order before Swipe took adventage of her distraction and charged at her again. She reflexively brought her arms up, but failed to prevent the rogue from snagging the hood from her head. Long blonde hair spilled out from under the fabric, revealing the girl's true identity: Terra.

Swipe staggered back, stunned, "Bl- Blondie? But... But you're a..."

The ex-Titan summoned a large rock and leapt upon it, turning back to the rogue, "I did what I had to do. Look, Slade doesn't like to be kept waiting. If you really care about her, then you'd better follow me..." With that, she quickly flew off in the same direction that she had sent Slade. Swipe wasn't too far behind once most of the shock had worn off. He didn't know why Terra had sided with Slade, or even why she wants him to follow her back. He really didn't care at this point, anyway. His biggest concerns now were Jinx's safety, and getting his payback on Slade.

_**End of Chapter 13**_

_**In Chapter 14 – **Swipe, injured and alone, must face Slade and Terra to rescue Jinx. Will Slade's new bargaining chip convince Swipe to join forces with him after all, or will Swipe beat the odds one more time?_


	14. Double or Nothing

"Swipe" by Ed Alger, a.k.a. "SecondLevelWriter"

**Author's Notes:** All disclaimers from previous chapters still apply here. Be warned, this one runs pretty long.

Chapter 14  
Double or Nothing

"Stupid pit-sniffin' Mammoth... Ain't my fault he can't find his butt with a map and a compass..." Gizmo groused to himself as he soared over Jump City in search of his former teammate. He had been scouring the city for Jinx ever since this morning without any luck at all. The technogeek was about to call it a night when a piercing scream caught his attention.

"Sounds like someone's in trouble!" he grinned to himself. "Think I'll go watch!"

He swooped down to get a closer look, but quickly pulled himself back up to avoid a familiar face. What he saw was his old boss, Slade, and he appeared to be holding Jinx as a captive! Frantically, Gizmo fumbled for his pocket communicator and contacted the academy.

"Headmaster! I've found her! I've found Jinx!"

"Excellent work, Gizmo," Brother Blood's voice replied. "Where is she?"

"She looks like she's been captured by Slade, but I don't know why. Wait a minute, they're heading north on a big floating rock! I'm gonna follow them!"

"Floating rock, did you say...?"

"I don't have time to explain, sir. Just home in on my signal! Gizmo out!" the pint-sized genius hastily put the comm away and gunned his jetpack, racing to keep up with Slade and Jinx. He followed them to the foothills and landed just outside of the cave where the others had entered, activating his homing device for the Headmaster. It wasn't long before he spotted two more figures heading his way, causing him to dive for the nearby shrubs to avoid being noticed.

Swipe kept on Terra's trail all the way to the northern foothills, following her into one of the larger caves. He wound his way through the tunnel, not even knowing just how deep he was going or what he was getting into. The rogue was already prepared for a trap after what Terra had told him. The only problem was his injured shoulder. The pain was growing steadily worse, and he couldn't ignore it much longer.

He finally reached an opening in the tunnel, and the sight before him gave him pause. The entire place looked like a desecrated cathedral, accented with ominous stained-glass windows bathing the whole interior in a reddish-orange light. He shivered a bit as he took a few cautious steps forward, throwing glances all about the place for any signs of an ambush.

The sounds of struggling soon caught Swipe's attention. He turned to see that a spotlight had illuminated the still-captive Jinx at the far side of the cave. She was held upright, bound by her wrists and ankles to a large stone slab that had been divided into four sections; One for each binding. The thief was just about to run towards her to get her free when an all-too-familiar duo emerged from the shadows.

"I knew you'd listen to reason, Swipe," Slade remarked cooly.

"Like I even had a choice, _Slade_," Swipe spat back.

"Then this should make your next decision even easier. Here's my offer: Join me and the girl comes to no harm. Refuse..." the mastermind trailed off, gesturing to Terra to illustrate what he would have said. The geomancer hesitantly raised her hand towards the captive, causing the four rocks that held Jinx to slowly move apart. The hex-caster's eyes squeezed shut as she gritted her teeth in an effort to not show her pain, desperate to keep Swipe from being influenced.

"Damn you, Slade..." the rogue hissed through his own clenched teeth. There had to be some way out of this, but what? It looked like Slade was holding all the cards now. Swipe decided that perhaps it was best to give the man what he wanted. His shoulders slumped in defeat while he looked down at the ground, and said as quietly as he could, "All right, all right. You win. I'll... I'll be your apprentice..."

"I'm glad you're starting to see things my way..."

Swipe added sharply, "On **one** condition: That Jinx _remains_ unharmed."

"Of course. Terra?" Slade turned to his apprentice, who nodded and released her command of the rocks.

The rogue smirked just a little bit, "Now then, shall we seal this deal with a formal handshake?"

"Very well. You seem to be quite the businessman," Slade remarked as he strode towards his new acquisition while Swipe walked casually up to meet him. Nobody ever noticed the flicker of movement from his right arm as he extended his left hand.

Jinx watched in horror as the deal seemed to be finalized right before her eyes. A few tears had found their way down her cheeks as she desperately whispered, _"Don't do it, Swipe... Please, don't do it..." _She was never quite sure, but it almost looked like he winked at her as she said those words.

Their hands clasped in a handshake, and Swipe took full advantage of it. He first smashed his right fist, now fitted with a thick piece of iron, into the armlet on Slade's left forearm. The control unit shattered and fell from the villain's arm, which consequently disabled the locks that held Jinx. A rapid-fire flurry of jabs then assailed Slade's jaw, with an all-out right hook finishing him off and sending him to the ground.

"BOOYAH! (_Trademark of Cyborg, established 2001)_" the thief shouted jubilantly, adding a quick disclaimer just to be safe.

As Terra still stood in shock, Swipe raced past her to where Jinx was held and tried to pry the clasps apart. Unfortunately, the controls he smashed also controlled the opening and closing mechanism, making a manual opening impossible. Instead, the rogue pulled out his daggers to quickly but carefully cut through the restraints.

Even Jinx was stunned, "Swipe... What... Did you...?"

"Nice to see you, too, Jinxie. Don't worry, I've got everything under - AGH!" his rescue attempt was cut off as a large stone slammed into his side. He landed hard on his left shoulder, yelping as the searing pain lanced through him. Swipe looked up to see that Terra had recovered from the sneak attack and was ready to mount a counterstrike of her own.

"You two aren't going _any_where."

The rogue slowly rose to his feet, glaring at the former Titan, "Just to let you know, Rob won't be happy to hear that you're workin' for Slade."

"I'm sure he won't," Terra replied rather dryly.

"Neither will Beast Boy... You wanna hurt his feelings, too?" The nerve was struck again, and he could see it in her eyes.

"You... don't know me..." she finally shot back, her voice wavering this time. "You don't know us!"

"No, but I think I know how you feel about him. That _was_ you at the club, wasn't it? D'you remember?"

"Shut up."

Swipe nodded in self-assurance, "Yeah... Yeah, it was. You must really care about ol' Animal to get all worked up over a song. Imagine his surprise when he finds out you're gonna stab him right in the back."

"I said _shut up!_"

Swipe smirked confidently, "Look on the bright side, Blondie. I could've sung 'Tainted Love'."

That did it. Terra screamed fiercely and raised a veritable blizzard of rocks and stones, while her eyes brightly glowed in anger at his remarks. Swipe retreated a few yards and tried dodging the swarm, weaving and leaning as the unending storm hurtled at him. He even kicked off of a few of the larger projectiles, delivering spin-kicks and roundhouse slashes to deflect or destroy any rocks that were about to collide with him. He knew he couldn't let this last much longer, as Slade certainly wouldn't stay down forever. He saw his opportunity when a large gap formed in the hailstorm and zoomed ahead towards the geomancer, still making sure to protect his shoulder from the rocks. Once he was close enough, the rogue ducked and lunged forward, delivering a perfectly aimed punch into Terra's stomach. The ex-Titan's eyes went wide with surprise and pain before she slowly collapsed to her knees, groaning softly as she curled up.

Swipe looked down at his fallen opponent with a bit of remorse, "I really didn't wanna do that... Usually don't like hittin' a girl as it is, but desperate times need desperate measures. Now then, if you'll excuse me..." He tipped an imaginary hat to her and turned back to freeing Jinx. He made quick work of the ankle restraints, and the hex-caster fell into his arms.

Jinx smiled a weary and relieved smile at her friend, and just happened to glance over his shoulder and see Slade running at full-speed towards them. Before even Swipe could react, Jinx quickly chanted a spell and pointed her outstretched hand at the mastermind. Fluorescent pink waves shot from her fingertips and struck Slade's legs, causing him to inexplicably trip over his own feet. She followed it up by aiming another spell into the ceiling, which dropped a large pile of rock and rubble onto Slade's prone body.

The sorceress's eyes were as big as grapefruit, "I... I did it!" She gaped at her own hand before turning to Swipe, "Did you see that? I actually hexed _Slade!_"

The rogue chuckled and squeezed his friend, "You finally stood up to him, Jinxie." He looked into her eyes, "I'm sorry I ever snapped at you. You're the best, an' cutest, sorceress I've ever had to catch from 14 stories."

In the spare moment they had, Jinx hugged him tightly and smiled up at him, "And you're the best bo-- um, friend I could ever ask for..."

"What were you gonna say?"

"N- Nothing?"

"You were gonna call me your boyfriend, weren't you..."

The hex-caster blushed hotly for a second, throwing an embarrassed glance to one side. Swipe turned her head back to face him with his index finger and gave her a warm smile. Their faces drew near to each other as she slowly closed her eyes, with Swipe doing the same, until...

"Ah, there you are! We've been looking all over the city for you, Jinx!" an unfamiliar voice suddenly called from the cave entrance. The couple turned quickly to face this newcomer, and saw a rather striking gentleman dressed in white robes with red and gold trim. With him was a bald-headed kid in a dark green jumpsuit, with power packs on both his chest and back.

"G- Gizmo?" Jinx said in disbelief upon seeing her former partner-in-crime.

"Come on, Jinx! We're taking you back to the academy!"

"But..." she looked from Gizmo to Swipe and back again. Sure, she _had_ wanted to go back, but now that she had Swipe...

"Um, excuse me, but I think she's doing just fine with me now," the thief spoke up, keeping an eye on Terra and Slade. This seemed to earn him a rather sharp glare.

Brother Blood wasn't taking anything except "yes" for an answer, and focused upon this little upstart. His eyes glowed dark red and Swipe suddenly jerked, clutching his head as a high-pitched ringing sound suddenly flooded his head and wracked his mind with intense pain. Just as Jinx turned to help the paralyzed rogue, Gizmo used a telescoping arm from his backpack to grab her by the arm and drag her back to him and the Headmaster. With their objective complete, they hurried from the cave and left the boy to his fate.

"Wait a minute!" Jinx protested as she ran to keep from being dragged. "What about Swipe? Can't we take him, too?"

"Since he's not registered with the academy, I'm afraid not," Brother Blood replied simply, never even bothering to look at her. "Besides, I doubt he'd make a good student, anyway."

The sorceress scowled at this and chanted a spell at the mechanical arm, breaking away from it and standing her ground. Gizmo and Brother Blood stopped short and turned back to her.

"Jinx, what're you doing? Get the lead out already!" the pint-sized genius shouted to his one-time ally.

"I'm not leaving without him," she declared firmly, crossing her arms over her chest. "He's my boyf-- my bo-- my _best_ friend."

"What? Didja hit your head or somethin'? You were the one bawling your pink head off about bein' kicked outta the Hive in the first place!"

"That was then, Gizmo, and this is now. Either we go back and get Swipe, or I go back to him without you."

"I'm terribly sorry, Jinx, but you really don't have any say in this matter..." the Headmaster replied as his eyes glowed red once more. Jinx's feline eyes squeezed shut as a wrenching pain filled her head. She quickly succumbed to it, falling unconscious just as Gizmo rushed up to catch her. "Let's go, Gizmo. We've wasted enough time here."

The hacker's beady eyes glowed that same shade of red as he replied in monotone, "Yes, Headmaster." He used another pair of mechanical arms to hoist Jinx behind him and carry her the rest of the way out of the cave.

Meanwhile, Swipe slowly opened his eyes once the searing pain in his head faded. He was laying face-down on the ground, with a slender, golden object under his hand. Without time to examine it, he hastily pocketed the item and started to his feet to pursue Jinx's new abductors. Unfortunately, there were two other people who had different ideas.

"Glad to see you're awake, Swipe. About our deal..."

"There's _no_ deal!" the rogue snapped, jumping backward into a crouching stance. "I said Jinx remains unharmed or else I don't join!"

"That's too bad..." Slade replied flatly as he raised a fist. "But if I can't have you, neither will the Titans."

Swipe yelped as he tumbled out of the way of Slade's vicious punch, only to find himself pinned by several animated rocks. He struggled to either break free or reach his daggers, neither of which he succeeded at. Slade got face-to-faceless with the trapped thief and allowed himself a moment to taunt his prey.

"We could have made a great team, you know. You're quite the fighter; fearless and inventive."

"I'm your kind of scum, huh?" the thief shot back through gritted teeth. "Sorry I have to disappoint you."

"I'm only sorry that I'll have to kill you," Slade's remark sent a great shiver through Swipe's spine, making the rogue all the more desperate to get out of this cave.

The familiar feeling of his dagger's handle gave Swipe hope for his future. Just as Slade reared back to finish him off, he kicked his legs up to deflect the attack and hacked at the rock spikes holding his shoulders to the wall. He had just enough time to dodge another swing, taking the opportunity to springboard off of the mastermind's shoulder and scramble for his freedom.

Terra's sharpened stones became his next obstacle, zinging past the rogue's ears and arms like arrowheads. One struck his already injured shoulder, knocking him off balance just long enough to be re-intercepted by Slade's fierce uppercut. The rogue was thrown backwards, only to be whacked in the back by a large boulder courtesy of the former Titan. Swipe fell to his hands and knees, gasping for breath and wondering if anything was broken.

Slade punted the helpless thief's stomach, sending him spinning several feet across the cave. As luck would finally have it, he landed near the entrance tunnel to the cathedral. Desperate to get away in mostly one piece, Swipe pulled himself back to his feet and attempted to run with all his remaining strength through the tunnel. While Slade could no longer get at him, Terra's geokinesis had no trouble. Columns of solid rock burst through the tunnel at the fleeing rogue, variously tripping and pummelling him on his escape.

At last, he reached the end of the tunnel just as he felt his entire body giving out on him. He collapsed into the same bushes where Gizmo had hidden himself earlier. Slade and Terra emerged only seconds later and searched for their quarry.

"Do you think he managed to get away?" the apprentice asked her master.

"If he has, he couldn't have enough life left in him to go anywhere, let alone warn the Titans. Get back to the tower. The next phase of our plan shall commence tomorrow."

Swipe watched Terra hop onto a rock and levitate it with her powers, quickly flying back off toward Titans' Tower. Slade glanced about one last time before turning back to his lair, prompting Swipe to feel just a little safer. The rogue fumbled for the communicator, searching every pocket for the device. He found the object that was in his hand shortly after Jinx's disappearance, which turned out to be her gold bracelet. A few tears built in his eyes as he looked at it, wondering if he'd ever see her again.

Shaking the thought from his head for now, the thief continued searching his pockets until he found it. His vision began to blur as he tried to remember which button did what. Finally, he pressed a red button near the bottom curve of the unit and passed out soon after. His last thoughts were of Jinx: her smile, her laugh, her wit, and how much he loved her.

In Titans' Tower, the distress beacon was heard by a cloaked Titan who was having trouble sleeping thanks to a bad dream. Actually, the dream was more of a vision, which included the shadowy form of Terra standing over her fallen former teammates. Upon seeing whose communicator was sending this signal, Raven became even more confused. This couldn't be coming from Terra's communicator. She's asleep in her room, wasn't she?

Regardless, she had to find out who had activated that signal and why. She quickly donned her cape and cowl, and set out to the north while closely observing the locator. In a few minutes, she arrived at the site but found nobody. Only when she spotted a hand holding the beeping communicator peeking out of some nearby bushes did she find what she was looking for.

"By the gates of Azarath. It's Swipe..." she breathed as she cleared away the shrubs with her powers. The rogue laid in a coma, and he looked like he had been beaten within an inch of his life. She quickly wrapped him up in a black bubble, carefully lifting him out and carrying him with her on her flight back to the tower.

She opened a channel to Robin's communicator as she flew, "Robin, this is Raven. It looks like our new friend might have had a run-in with an old acquaintance of ours. I'm taking him to the infirmary for now. Hopefully, we'll get some answers in the morning."

_**End of Chapter 14**_

_**In Chapter 15 - **Swipe slowly recovers from his battle with Slade, battered and worried about Jinx's safety. He soon finds himself in the middle of an ambush at Titans' Tower, thanks to a Betrayal._


	15. A Friend, Indeed

"Swipe" by Ed Alger a.k.a. "SecondLevelWriter"

Author's Notes: All previous disclaimers, you guessed it, _still apply here!_ We are now on the night of "Betrayal", but without the pie and amusement park. :P (Which, of course, adds a shiny "slightly AU" tag to the story.) Also, I revamped this chapter a little bit, since the beginning of "All In" seemed to fit better for ending this chapter instead.

Chapter 15  
A Friend, Indeed

Nightmares filled Swipe's head as he regained consciousness. Visions of Jinx being pulled into an endless, black void, screaming his name desperately. More faces and voices filtered through his mind, both from memories and from what his ears were picking up.

_"He could kill you if you ever crossed him..."_

_"Join me, and the girl remains unharmed..."_

_"... not life-threatening..."_

_"You don't know me..."_

_"... friend Swipe, please awaken soon..."_

_"... back to the academy..."_

_"Don't do it, Swipe. Please, don't do it..."_

_"I'm only sorry that I'll have to kill you..."_

_"When is he gonna wake up...?"_

_"You're the best bo-- um, friend..."_

At last, Swipe jolted awake, wide-eyed with panic and fear. He sat upright, glancing around his new environment. It looked like he was in some sort of high-tech hospital room, leading him to believe that someone did answer his call.

"Finally," a thin, raspy voice spoke at his side, making the rogue nearly jump out of his skin. "We were beginning to wonder if you'd ever wake up."

"Hi, Raven. I'm fine, thanks for asking," Swipe retorted sarcastically, swinging his legs over the side of the bed to get up. He was intercepted by one of the Titan's hands gently pushing him backwards.

"Your injuries haven't healed completely yet," she advised him. "Give yourself a couple more days of rest before you decide to go on the warpath for Slade."

"How do you know what I'm gonna do? I might just be goin' for a little snack."

"I know because I can feel your anxiety. You're worried about Jinx, I can understand that. But, you'll get yourself killed if you go out there now."

Swipe gave Raven an incredulous look, "How the heck d'you know about us!"

"Let's just say that Starfire loves to share her 'glorious news' with the rest of us." The cloaked Titan allowed herself a little smirk and added, "Besides, you kept mumbling her name in your sleep."

Swipe's face flushed a little bit, "I just... don't wanna have her get hurt. She's my friend, after all."

"I think she's more than that now. Otherwise, you wouldn't be blushing right now."

He turned his head away out of embarrassment, "You really like makin' people squirm, don'cha?"

"Mainly Beast Boy, to be honest. I like the reactions I can get out of him," she chuckled quietly to herself and sat on a stool next to Swipe's bed. "Seriously, if it's any consolation, we'll try to help you find her again. Did Slade kidnap her?"

The thief shook his head, "He did at first, but I wasn't about to let him get away that easily. I was so close to gettin' Jinxie back when some regal-lookin' fella shows up, scrambles my brains with some weird power, an' takes off with her! He had a little pipsqueak in a green bodysuit with him, what's-his-name..."

"Gizmo."

"Yeah, that's what Jinx called him. You know that kid, too?"

"Unfortunately. He was one of the students attending the Hive Academy, along with Mammoth and Jinx, until all three of them got expelled after we defeated them."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. I've heard that story already. Skip to the end; Where does this white-robed guy with the gold chestplate an' mind-baking psionic powers fit in?" Swipe asked with an air of impatience.

"I haven't heard of anyone like that appearing in the city. I'll have to ask Robin later. He's the one to ask when it comes to villains."

"Why am I not surprised..."

A sudden blast shook the room, followed by the sounds of heavy blaster fire. Both Raven and Swipe noticed the security status screen lighting up with several red blips covering the tower's outline.

"This can't be..." she gasped.

Swipe sat back up, "It's Slade... and his new apprentice."

Raven looked back at the rogue as she slipped her cowl over her head, "Apprentice? But I thought you were -"

"He offerred me that job, too," he tried to quickly explain before another loud boom rocked the tower. "Look, I'll tell you later. Let's just go and see what's happening down there."

"_I'll_ go down there. _You_ stay here and save your strength."

Not even willing to stick around for the counterpoint, she quickly opened the door and flew off to help her friends. Swipe's mouth hung open in silent protest for a minute before he flopped back onto the bed and sulked. Just as the door slid shut, the thief noticed his weapons and equipment on the nearby table.

Raven made her way back to the main hallway, and immediately found herself in a crossfire of red laser beams, starbolts, and sonic blasts. She ducked back into the corridor she had come from before spying a few of the droids attempting to make off with some of her books.

"They've been in my room..." she stated to herself, while anger started to build in her voice. "**Nobody** goes in my room!"

The telepath unleashed her power upon the would-be robbers, flattening them with huge chunks of the nearby wall and then smashing them through the floor. However, she also managed to catch Cyborg in her attacks, causing him to tumble into the gym with the droids. She was about to call out an apology when she suddenly sensed another robot coming up behind her with its blaster raised.

Out of nowhere, a knife burst through the droid's chest and slashed upwards, cleaving the upper body in half. The machine toppled over, revealing that Swipe, now sporting a huge grin on his face, had dealt it the fatal blow.

"You're supposed to be _resting_," Raven flatly informed him.

"An' miss out on all the fun?" the rogue retorted while slicing through another pair of oncoming drones. "You guys're nice enough to help me out, so I'm repaying the debt. Besides, they don't look so tough to me." A couple of red laser bolts barely missed his head as he spoke, "Okay, so maybe looks aren't everything... **Sweetcheeks, look out!**"

Swipe had spotted another robot stalking up behind Starfire, who was busy fending off four of its comrades. The thief flung a single knife at the attacker half a second after his warning shout and struck it squarely in the side of the head. Before Raven could try insisting that he quit while he's ahead (and where the heck that name came from), the rogue leapt into a mob of the droids and proceeded to cut through them like a scythe through wheat. The others barely had time to watch Swipe in action when he sped off through the halls of the tower to engage more targets, easily outrunning the strafing blaster fire while felling several more robots with well-placed knives.

"Step up! I'll take you ALL on!" the frenzied rogue bellowed during his rampage.

He soon lost track of his friends as his focus turned solely to eliminating Slade's drones. Knives were flying in all directions, skewering heads and chests alike. Swipe even started getting fancy with his attacks, using jumpkicks and his iron-knuckle augmented fists to disable the front ranks while following up with his daggers and decapitating the backups. He barely noticed his vision beginning to blur when the robots' ranks were all but wiped out.

Once the Titans had finally caught up with him, they saw him standing amid a huge pile of dissected and twitching robot limbs. Needless to say, four jaws simultaneously dropped through the floor.

Swipe was panting heavily, now feeling a bit dizzy due to the adrenaline wearing off, "I know who did this, you guys... It was... It was her... Blondie..."

Robin blinked, "Terra? Are you sure?"

"I saw it, Robs... Saw her with my own eyes... She's... working for Slade..." With those last words, he slumped over right where he stood and passed out again.

Raven clenched her fist, "I knew it... I _knew _there was something."

"I can't believe it. Terra, a traitor?" Cyborg said in disbelief. "After everything we did for her?"

There was another moment of stunned silence. Starfire looked around and was the first to speak up, "Where is Beast Boy? I do not recall seeing him during the battle."

As if to answer her question, the green shapeshifter burst through the doors of the main control room. His angered yet defeated expression said it all. The remaining Titans quietly greeted their friend with understanding nods, before turning back to the near-unconscious rogue.

"Let's get him back to bed," Raven said at last. "He needs his rest, and so do we."

With a nod, Robin, Cyborg, and Starfire helped lift Swipe from the scrap pile and carefully carried him back to the infirmary. The rest of the night went by in somber silence, with Beast Boy curling up on Terra's old bed with the heart-shaped box he had gotten for her, while the remaining four Titans retired to their rooms in the hopes of getting some sleep.

After almost a full day's worth of sleeping, Swipe eventually rose from his bed once more in the infirmary and opened the curtain to the nearby window to see what time it was. Upon seeing a view of the city that combined Picasso with Hanna-Barbera, he groaned once and slunk back to the bed for another nap. After another few hours went by, Raven returned to the infirmary with her right hand placed to her forehead.

"Hey, Sunshine," the drowsy rogue sat up halfway and greeted her. "Just to let you know, I think ya gave me too much painkiller this morning. I was havin' some weird hallucinations today."

The shadow mage fixed a quizzical look on him, "I didn't give you anything this morning. You've been out cold since the attack."

Swipe blinked, "So... what the hell was I lookin' at?"

"You don't want to know. Trust me." she answered plainly. The rogue just shrugged and rolled back over, muttering something incoherent before dozing off again.

During the next day, Swipe awoke to the usual sight of Raven double-checking his vital signs. He opened his mouth wide and let out a mighty yawn to let her know that he was awake.

"You know, I only blacked out because I pushed myself too hard," he said quietly. "I think it's safe to say I'll be fine in another day or so."

"You let me be the judge of that," she shot back. "While we appreciate what you did for us, none of us want you to risk yourself like that again."

Swipe rolled his eyes and stretched his arms over his head, "Dammit, nobody's any fun around here..."

The intercom crackled with Robin's voice, "Raven, we need you up here. Cinderblock, Overload, and Plasmus are attacking different parts of the city."

Before Raven could say anything to her patient, the rogue spoke for her, "I'll stay here an' rest. You go find out what's up."

The Titan merely shook her head and opened the door, "You're free to help yourself to anything in the kitchen. I'm sure you're hungry after your long nap."

"Be careful out there, and by that I mean all five of you."

"Thanks, Swipe," she replied quietly before exiting the infirmary. Swipe sighed to himself before settling onto his side, staring out the window. He knew Jinx was out there somewhere, but it was a matter of where to start looking. His eyes closed again, while he clutched the gold chain of Jinx's bracelet to his chest.

_**End of Chapter 15**_

_**In Chapter 16** - Swipe fully recovers from his overexertion, just in time to find out he could be a Teen Titan by default when Slade conquers Jump City with Terra's assistance. Fortunately, he's got the entire tower to himself..._


	16. All In

"Swipe" by Ed Alger a.k.a. "SecondLevelWriter"

Author's Notes: Guess what still applies here! Yep, those same naughty little disclaimers! For our timeline, we are now looking at "Aftershock, Part 2". This one might run a little long, but hopefully it's worth it.

Chapter 16  
All In

It was early in the evening when Swipe awoke yet again. This time, however, there was no Raven to greet him.

"Raven?" he called out as he sat up and looked around. "What, are you getting me room service now or somethin'?" He waited for a retort, but got only silence. Scratching his head in moderate confusion, the rogue carefully climbed off the bed and poked his head out the door.

"Raven?"

There was nary a soul walking down the hallway, or even in the main control/living room. Swipe stepped into the large room and called out a few more names.

"Big Bot? Yo, Animal! You guys around? ... Starfire? ... Robin? ... _Any_body?"

The dead quiet unsettled him greatly. He didn't know exactly how long he'd slept, but he was certain the Titans would've been back by now. Just to make sure, the thief searched every room in the tower for his new friends and turned up empty in each one.

"This is too weird," he said to himself. "Where could they be?"

He made his way down to the ground floor to have a look outside. Just as he entered the edge of the city, what he saw almost made his heart stop; the entire city was devoid of any human activity. Platoons of heavy-assault drones marched through Jump City's streets now, led by a familiar face.

"Terra..." he growled under his breath. "The light hath been shed."

The thief raced back into the tower and returned to the main room. Every surveillance monitor showed him the same pictures: droid squads and Terra. Something needed to be done to stop Slade's reign, but Swipe knew from his last tangle with the criminal mastermind that he couldn't win by himself. And without the Titans to assist him, he'll need all the extra weaponry and protection he can get a hold of just to even the odds again.

He went over the options in his head, "Lessee... Raven doesn't need weapons 'cuz she's all _'Azarath Metrion Zinthos!' _an' stuff... Beast Boy don't need weapons 'cuz he can turn into a rabid wombat if he wanted to... Starfire don't need weapons 'cuz of those energy bolt thingies... Cyborg... well, his weapons are already built into him. That leaves..."

The door to Robin's room couldn't be opened fast enough. As Swipe looked around at all of the gadgets and weapons, the klepto in him started feeling like a little kid in a candy store. Birdarangs, grappling hooks, exploding disci, body armor; the list just went on and on.

"Where does he _get_ these wonderful _toys_?" the thief gleefully pondered. "Hope he doesn't mind if I borrow a few of 'em!"

He "borrowed" several of the disci and a grapple gun, stuffed them all into his own utility belt, and also grabbed one of Robin's suits. A quick moment to model the outfit revealed that the color scheme had to be changed along with the need to remove the cape, although cutting through polymerized titanium seemed to be near-impossible... until Swipe remembered his adamantine daggers. A short cut-and-spray-paint job later, the outfit was ready to wear.

The collar where a cape was normally attached remained untouched; Black with yellow trim encircling it. The torso was darkened to more of a burgundy color, which covered the "R" symbol on the chest along with the green sleeves, and the pants were painted black with a stripe of burgundy going down the outside of each leg. He even used the gloves, although he made them more like his own by painting them black, trimming them at mid-forearm, and clipping off the fingers. He used his own belt, now loaded with more ammunition than it was intended for. The mask, however, was never even considered.

Swipe admired himself in the mirror once more, "Heh, I guess Jinxie wasn't the only one who needed a makeover..."

The thought suddenly struck him. Even if he brought Slade down and started his search for Jinx, he had no idea where to begin looking. Jump City is a big place to have to comb through, even for someone with extraordinary speed. Regardless, he had to do something or else he'd lose her for good. While dwelling on this, the rogue walked back into the main living quarters and onward to the kitchen for something to eat. No sense fighting the bad guys on an empty stomach.

With his third sandwich in his hands, Swipe noticed the Titans' supercomputer terminal and got an idea. He plopped down in front of the keyboard and stared at the monitor. After a little perusing, he found a file labeled "Poss. Hive Locs." and clicked on it. The screen then displayed the western portion of Jump City's map, with three large "H" symbols marking potential sites for the Hive Academy. Swipe had the image file printed out and stored the paper in his belt pouch.

He finished off his sandwich when the computer started emitting a series of high-pitched beeps. Confused, the thief looked around the control panel for its source and noticed a red button emblazoned with the Teen Titans' insignia flashing on the keyboard. Upon pressing it, the screen showed another map, and near its middle were five of the same red insignias. A grin slowly spread across Swipe's face when he realized what they meant.

"Echo Base, this is Rogue Two. I've found them. Repeat: I've found them!" he declared triumphantly to himself before also printing that map out.

Once he made sure that he was absolutely ready, Swipe set out to find his comrades-in-arms. He tracked their signals to a now ruined factory, only there was no sign of them at all. Unless, of course, they were buried underground. The rogue located a spot in the earth that had been recently moved and aimed a few of Robin's exploding discs where he figured they would be most effective.

"I dunno if you guys can hear me or not, but, uh... FIRE IN THE HOLE!"

He flung the discs with perfect accuracy, and the crevice was re-opened in the ensuing blast. The slightly-battered Titans emerged soon after, with Starfire lifting Robin out while Raven carried Cyborg. Beast Boy switched out of his crow form to thank the thief for his rescue when he noticed something familiar in his new outfit.

"Dude, don't tell me you and Robin shop at the same stores now."

Swipe chuckled nervously, "Eh-heh, dunno whatcher talking about, Animal! I just, uh, happened to find this stuff lyin' around... at my hideout... where I live..."

"That bump right there looks like an 'R' to me..." the shapechanger went on to observe, pointing to the painted-over symbol on Swipe's uniform. Cyborg and Starfire were about to see for themselves before Swipe quickly turned to one side and bent towards the green Titan.

_"Ix-nay on the olen-stay uit-say, East-bay Oy-bay!"_ the rogue hissed before he straightened himself back up to address the Titans. "**Any**ways! Listen, I know where Slade's got himself holed up. He's at the north end of town, where you guys found me at -9 hit points a few nights ago. The only problem is: He's taken over the city, an' Terra's patrolling the streets along with a gajillion of those combat mechs."

The mention of his former crush got Beast Boy to drop the subject, "You've seen Terra? Where is she? Take us to her!"

"Calm down, Animal, lemme go find her first. I've got a little score to settle with her, myself. Once I've shaken her up a bit, I'll signal you guys to follow," Swipe replied, sporting an evil grin. "I can't wait to see the look on her face when she comes face-to-face a ghost..."

With everyone in agreement, Swipe raced off into the heart of the city in search of the fallen Titan. It wouldn't take him long, even if he wasn't running at full speed. He ducked into an alley and assessed his situation: Terra was followed by 20 combat robots, and all of them had their backs to him. The rogue carefully drew his daggers, took a deep breath, and dashed from his hiding place. Before anybody was aware of his presence, Swipe sliced apart over half of the squadron. When Terra turned around, however, the entire group was reduced to so much scrap metal and sparking wires.

"Knock-knock, _Blondie_..." a chillingly familiar voice called behind her. She looked back over her shoulder with wide, frightened eyes at the speaker and nearly fell over backwards when she saw Swipe leaning against a lamppost with his arms crossed over his chest and a confident smirk on his lips.

"It can't be... I thought you were -"

"Dead? Yeah, I thought I was, too. You an' Sladey-Boy sure pack a punch when you're pissed off. Nice outfit, by the way."

"You may as well give up," Terra informed him grimly. "Your friends are gone now. There's nobody to save you _or_ this city."

"Really? I guess I'll just hafta save myself, then..."

Without another word, Swipe flung one of Robin's exploding discs at the rock that Terra was perched upon. The geomancer's platform shattered on impact, sending her to the asphalt and subject to the rogue's follow-up tackle. He slammed hard into her shoulders, causing them both to tumble end-over-end for several yards while they attempted to get in extra blows upon the other.

"Better hope nobody takes a picture of us, Swipe. Someone might get _jealous!_" Terra taunted, throwing a hard right hook into the side of Swipe's head.

"Nghh! Yeah? Well, at least I _have_ someone who'll _get_ jealous!" Swipe shot back, managing to smack his forearm against Terra's own head. "But I think she knows me enough to not believe I'd be makin' out with a _traitor!_"

"I did what I had to do!" the former Titan roared as she planted her right foot into her opponent's stomach, using leverage to flip him off of her. She added as she rose to her feet, "Besides, they all abandoned me..."

"Slade probably told you that, an' you certainly fell for it. I seriously doubt that the Titans were gonna leave you for any reason, even if you might've had a bad past. I know Beast Boy sure as _hell_ wouldn't leave ya."

Terra visibly winced at the mention of the changeling, "You're wrong. He turned his back on me..."

Swipe snorted, "Can't say I blame him for doin' it, either. But you should remember that you've been workin' for Slade all this time, so I'd say it was _you_ who abandoned him _first_."

The geomancer's eyes flashed with anger, "No, I didn't...!"

"Face the facts, Blondie. Ya broke his heart when he found out the truth about you, an' then you went an' buried him with his friends under a ton of rock... all for whatever Slade promised ya," he continued while slowly circling the girl. "All I can say is, I hope it was worth the sacrifice."

Her eyes and hands flared up with a yellow aura, and she answered her enemy with a volley of rocks. Swipe tched, recalling how he saw this same attack a few nights ago, and implemented the same tactic he had used before. The rogue easily ducked and weaved through the barrage, occasionally slicing a larger projectile in half as he pulled his arm back for another swing...

CRACK! A giant boulder somehow got past his line of sight and nailed him squarely in the face, sending him into a backwards tumble until he hit a mailbox and slumped over in a daze. Terra stalked towards her prey and raised her hand, bringing that same boulder to bear upon Swipe's head.

"You got lucky last time, Swipe. This time, your luck's run out."

A sudden cluster of green energy bolts interrupted her coup de grace, giving Swipe a chance to regain his senses and roll out of the way. Shortly after, several smoke bombs detonated and enshrouded the entire area. The rogue grinned to himself as he got clear.

"Looks like my backup arrived a little ahead of schedule," he commented. "We're one to one right now, Terra. The tiebreaker'll have to wait. Play nice, you guys!"

Terra squinted and searched through the haze for her opponent until she instead saw five haunting silhouettes coming slowly towards her. Her sky blue eyes widened with disbelief while her jaw dropped open. The Teen Titans were alive and well.

A brief battle ensued while Swipe watched from the sidelines. He wasn't surprised to see that nobody was holding back, not even Beast Boy. Nor was he surprised to see how the ex-Titan was struggling against her former friends, her strength likely a bit sapped from her previous fight, until she forced herself to retreat down into a side alley.

"Where's she going?" Beast Boy demanded. "We can't let her **or** Slade get away this time!"

Swipe looked over his shoulder and saw a platoon of droids advancing straight for them, "I hate to dampen your spirits, Animal, but we've got more company. Listen to me, you guys... If she's headed back to Slade, then she's goin' straight north from here. There's a cave among some thick shrubs, keep following straight through until you... well, I doubt you could miss _that_."

A spray of blaster bolts narrowly missed the rogue and the Titans, causing them all to assume combat stances. Robin readied his staff and issued a well-known command.

"Titans, GO! ... And, uh, you too, Swipe."

"Thank you."

All six teens leapt into the fray, trying to hew their way through the mechanical army in order to pursue Slade's new apprentice. Raven hurled a nearby automobile into a group of the robots, sending them flying past Cyborg as he flattened several more with blasts from his sonic cannon. Starfire and Robin were back-to-back, alternately blasting and swatting away the oncoming droids while Beast Boy quickly tore past the blockade as a deinonychus and followed Terra's trail on his own. Swipe, in the meantime, sped through the throng and hacked through the heads of more than twenty robots along with any other appendages he could target. Cyborg spotted an ambush attempt around the corner nearest to the rogue and shouted a warning before blasting the group, crumbling part of the building and narrowly missing Swipe.

"Domo arigato, Mister Roboto!" the thief saluted his ally as he went on to stab a survivor through the chest.

Just when the armies showed signs of thinning, a new threat lumbered towards the team. It appeared to be an amalgam of electricity, ooze, and stone. Worse, it looked mighty tough to bring down.

"_Not_ good," Swipe muttered, swallowing hard. "Anyone got an idea of what _that_ is?"

"It looks like Plasmus, Cinderblock, and Overload... all mashed together," Cyborg replied while his internal computers tried to get some kind of reading on the creature.

Swipe groaned a bit, "Great. Three times the strength and four times the ugly." Nevertheless, he tightened the grip on his twin daggers and said to his comrades, "You guys go after Beast Boy. I'll hold this thing off."

"Are you crazy?" Robin shouted. "Any one of those three are a handful as it is!"

"Animal's gonna need your help dealing with Terra an' Slade! There anything I should know about this guy?"

"Overload's weak against water..." the cybernetic Titan began.

"Plasmus is only dangerous when he is awake," Starfire added.

"And Cinderblock is just slow. You'd better not bite off more than you can chew again, Swipe," the cloaked Titan finished as she started to float off with her friends.

Swipe flashed a confident smirk, "Don't worry about me, Sunshine. Just get going!"

The remaining Titans made their way north, tracking Beast Boy's signal into the caves as Swipe had indicated. The rogue stood his ground and prepared to tangle with the biggest thing he'd ever faced in his life.

"Okay, Plasmerblockerload... or whatever you're called now... Let's see what you've got!"

The hulking creature bellowed as it charged towards its opponent, with Swipe readying his daggers and doing the same...

While the Titans quickly headed towards their destination, Starfire stopped abruptly and turned to go back. Noticing his friend's actions, Robin similarly hit the brakes and ran back to catch her.

"Star, where're you---?"

"I cannot allow him to face that monster by himself," the Tamaranean insisted. "I must assist Swipe!"

"But Slade might hurt Beast Boy if we don't get over there to help him!"

Uncertainty showed Starfire's emerald eyes, as she glanced back over her shoulder and back to her friends. "But..."

"He'll be okay, Star. Trust me," the Titan leader smiled a bit. "He's fighting for a worthy cause, after all."

The girl slowly nodded, "I know. If you say he will be victorious, then I believe you." She brightened up a bit, "Now, let us go and defeat Slade, once and for all!"

Robin smiled and nodded once before they both re-joined their friends. Starfire still looked over her shoulder one last time, back where Swipe was certainly fighting for his life against the aberration.

Meanwhile, the rogue barely dodged another of the beast's lashing attacks. No matter how far he could get from this thing, it could stretch just far enough to reach him. Worse, the gestalt creature was pushing towards the Titans... and gaining a lot of ground with every step.

"You're not getting past me, Quadruple-Ugly!" he shouted, parrying another swing with his daggers. "Slade an' Terra didn't kill me, so what makes you think **_you_** can?"

The conglomerate only roared its response and spewed several geysers of slime from the bulging "eyes" that belonged to Plasmus. Swipe leapt backwards, handspringing away from the attack just as two more electrified tentacles swung his way. The first attack missed on its own, but the second swing connected and threw the thief into a car's windshield.

"Let's hear it for poly-something-or-other titanium," he muttered to himself while carefully standing back up. He then drew out a few of Robin's freezing discs and made a dash across the creature's left flank, flinging the charges with amazing accuracy. The discs encased the tripartite's legs in thick blocks of ice, but the effect hardly lasted as long as Swipe would've liked. The abomination easily broke free of the ice and continued its attack, forcing a hasty retreat from the rogue.

Cursing under his breath, Swipe plucked the last few exploding projectiles from his belt and pulled a quick U-turn towards his enemy. He threw all of them into the monster's face just as he ducked down and tumbled between its legs to emerge behind it. The multiple explosions finally toppled the thing, which hopefully rendered the Plasmus part of it inert.

No such luck; The creature quickly got back to its feet before the rogue had a chance to celebrate. Swipe sidestepped another heavy blow and tried cutting into the oozy flesh with his daggers. The blades sliced clean through, but the wounds closed as quickly as they were made thanks to the combined healing factors of Plasmus and Overload. It was difficult to tell if the thing was actually smirking at him before another hard swing sent him flying once again.

Swipe slumped onto the pavement, gasping for breath and searching for another option. It was becoming apparent that he couldn't damage the monster whatsoever, and he could only dodge so much. His only other hope laid with the Titans overthrowing Slade, provided he could last long enough for them to pull it off. Making matters even worse were two more squads of Slade's heavy combat mechas trundling towards him from the foothills.

The rogue broke off from fighting the aberration and charged towards the robots. They may have him outnumbered, but they were more vulnerable to his daggers. Swipe carved into the first mecha he ran into, yanking out its power core and hurling it at the pursuing creature. The immense explosion finally blasted it backward for several yards, giving the thief some much-needed breathing room. He then focused on taking out as many of the robots as he could before Plasmerblockerload could get up again.

This time, however, the task proved too great even for him. More robots took the places of the fallen, and the conglomerated monster was soon bearing down on him again. With no other ways out, Swipe clamped his eyes shut and awaited the inevitable.

"I'm sorry, Jinxie... I tried..."

Just before either the droids or the mutant could strike, a massive explosion rocked the entire city. To the north, a plume of magma and ash tore through the very hills that Slade was residing in. The robots went still shortly afterward, and the aberration shrieked in pain as its body slowly tore itself into its three base pieces: Plasmus, Cinderblock, and Overload. All three remained unconscious after the split was completed, giving Swipe a chance to make a break for it.

The rogue headed north, just in time to watch the eruption cease as quickly as it had started. He ran into the Titans shortly afterwards and guessed from Beast Boy's expression that Terra didn't go peacefully. Wounded both physically and emotionally, both Swipe and the Teen Titans returned to the tower to recover. The thief inwardly breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that now he could begin his search for Jinx unopposed.

That night, Swipe gathered up his belongings and started for the exit, only to be stopped by his newfound friends.

"What? I gave you guys back yer communicator. That's the only thing I stole, honest!"

Robin stepped forward and placed that very device into the rogue's hands, "Keep it. You've definitely earned it."

"Huh?"

Cyborg nodded an agreement, "That took a lot of guts to do what you did. If it weren't for you, we might've been held up fighting that thing and not gotten to BB in time."

"I agree as well! Your bravery in battle was most impressive!" Starfire chimed in.

"And whatever you said to Terra really turned her around. At least... that's what she told me before..." Beast Boy tried to shake off his emotions and instead managed another smile. "Anyways, thanks for all your help. Like Cy said, we couldn't have done it without you."

Raven tried to appear aloof to the whole thing, but Swipe could see the "I knew you could do it" look she secretly gave him. The rogue came back with an "I _told_ you I could do it" grin.

"As far as we're concerned, you are an honorary Teen Titan!" Robin finally declared, punctuated by the applause of his friends.

Swipe wiped away a tear from his eye, "Shucks, folks, I'm speechless! Ya know... I... I wish I could stay an' celebrate, but..."

Starfire finished his sentence for him, "There is someone you wish to rescue, correct?"

"Yeah... an' I also need to get back to the club. I'm sure the boss is gettin' worried about me. You all should drop by tonight an' watch me perform. It, uh, might end up bein' the last show I do for a while."

The Titans agreed to be there and bade their new ally farewell. On his way back to the motel, Swipe pulled out the map of Hive Academy locations from his belt and studied it. If it took him having to register with The Hive and basically go against the Titans to get Jinx back, that was a risk he was willing to take.

_**End of Chapter 16**_

_**In Chapter 17 **-Loose ends are tied up as Swipe begins his search for the girl that literally fell into his life and has now become a part of it. How will the Titans take another possible betrayal, if they even find out about it at all? _


	17. Farewell Concert

"Swipe" by Ed Alger a.k.a. "SecondLevelWriter"

Author's Notes: All disclaimers mentioned previously still apply here. "Faithfully" is originally written and performed by Journey. Yes, I am a fan of theirs. No, I can't help it that their songs are perfect for this story.

Chapter 17  
Farewell Concert

Swipe finished packing his clothes and gear into a worn-out duffel bag, and took one last look around his home. From the moment he had returned, the motel seemed empty and cold; a feeling that was being echoed in the rogue's chest. The last two items he picked up were the communicator and Jinx's bracelet, which he held in each hand and studied for a moment. After a sigh, he put the device in his back pocket before affixing the gold chain around one of his front belt loops.

"Don't worry, Jinxie... I'm comin' for ya," he said quietly, patting the bracelet a few times. "Just gotta say a few goodbyes first."

He hefted the bag over his shoulder and walked out the front door, locking it behind him. As the rogue walked down the streets towards The Retro Zone, he noticed that the populace had already resumed their normal lives. Apparently, stuff like this is commonplace in Jump City. It made him briefly wonder what else has befallen this city in the past.

"Look what the cat dragged in!" Rick said brightly upon seeing the long-lost thief. "Just when we think you're gone for good, you show up on the horizon again! What happened to you this time?"

Swipe gave his buddy a faint smile, "Yeah, the whole world could come to an end an' I'd still be here. There've been some... um, problems. You know who Slade is, right?"

"After what happened last night and this afternoon, who doesn't?"

"Right. Well, he got a hold of Jinx... but then some other guy grabbed her just as I got done savin' her."

"Damn... I'm sorry, Swipe," the doorman replied, patting Swipe's shoulder. "You'll get her back, I'm sure of it. You know... I didn't want to outright say it before, but I thought the two of you made a cute couple."

Swipe gave Rick a skeptical look, "Richard, you were beating around that bush so much, the roots were startin' to show." He shook his head and chuckled a bit, "Thanks, though. After tonight's show, I'm going to go an' turn this city upside down to look for her."

"That sounds to me like you won't be back for a while. A lot of people are gonna miss you around here."

"I'm aware of that, Rick... But I miss her, too..." Swipe cast his eyes to the ground as he spoke.

"I'll bet you do. Better get inside now. The first act's about to start, and I'm sure the Rollers would be happy to see you. Good luck finding Jinx. And when you do, I hope you give the guy who did this hell!"

"Thanks again. Stay cool, Mr. Doorman."

Swipe shook hands with Rick one last time before entering the club. He was then stopped by Mr. Bradley, the proprietor of the club. After explaining the whole situation over again to him, the rogue had to politely decline reconsidering his decision and was also wished the best of luck. The owner then gave Swipe his cut of the band's payment for the last performance, plus an advance for tonight's show.

"I hope you come back soon, kid. You're a helluva performer," Mr. Bradley said to the thief before letting him go.

"I'll try to get back as soon as I can, Mr. B. I promise."

With that, he made his way through the crowd of regulars who were anxiously awaiting Swipe's return. He shook hands with many of them and gave high-fives to those that were more out of reach, until he jumped onto the stage. There, he greeted his bandmates and informed them of his situation.

Mike was the first to speak up, "Man, that's awful... But, knowin' you, I'm sure you'll be tearin' this city apart to find her again."

Jeff nodded, "I already feel sorry for whoever kidnapped her. Glad it's not me!"

Swipe could only smile, "You guys're the best. Really, I mean that. Whaddaya say we give these folks a show they'll never forget?"

The rest of the band agreed and gave the signal to dim the house lights. A spotlight was then switched on to focus upon the rogue, who was greeted with an enthusiastic round of applause.

"Hey, out there. You guys ready to rock?" he asked the audience. There was a brief surge in the clapping to answer him. "Good, good. Listen, before we get this party started, I have an announcement to make. This is probably gonna be my last performance for a while..." A confused murmur rose from the crowds as Swipe gestured for quiet, "I know it's sudden, but something's... come up... and..."

"Is this about your girlfriend?" one of the ladies at the front asked him honestly.

For a moment, he was silent before he gave a slight nod, "Yeah... yeah, this is about my girlfriend. Somebody's got her right now, an' I gotta go find her an' save her... I don't know how long it'll be, but I promise you guys that I'll come back."

Tim noticed the surprise on Jeff's face, "Something wrong?"

The guitarist nodded slowly, "I never expected him to actually _admit_ that..."

Many of the patrons shouted cheers of support for the rogue, spurring everyone around them to join in. Soon, the whole club was again clapping and whistling. Swipe chuckled a bit and waved a gesture of thanks to them all.

"I appreciate that. Now then, let's kick off this farewell concert!"

Throughout the night, the band and Swipe performed their most favorite songs from "Invisible Touch" by Genesis to "Dead Man's Party" by Oingo Boingo. They even put on Devo hats to sing "Whip It" and kept them on through "Turning Japanese" by The Revs (although Swipe amended the words to "_Your hair is pink / Your eyes are, too_"). As the night started to wind down, the Teen Titans arrived through the front doors just in time to watch Swipe sing his final song.

"Everyone, it's been a blast. For my last song, I'm gonna sing what I wanted to sing for Jinxie the next time we were here. Maybe... Maybe she'll still hear this from wherever she is right now. You all have a good night... I'll never forget ya. Tim, if you would, please?"

The crowd fell silent while the entire club went dark, save for the lone spotlight on Swipe. Tim played the opening introduction on the keyboard before the rogue started singing.

_Highway run / Into the midnight sun  
Wheels go 'round and 'round / You're on my mind  
Restless hearts / Sleep alone tonight  
Sendin' all my love / Along the wire_

"I _told_ you guys the show started earlier than 9:00," Beast Boy whispered to the others. Four hands quickly covered the shapechanger's mouth in response.

_They say that the road ain't no place to start a family  
Right down the line it's been you and me  
And lovin' a music man ain't always what it's supposed to be  
Oh girl, you stand by me  
I'm for-ev-er yo-urs... Faithfully_

Only those up front could see that Swipe was fighting hard to not get choked up. The slight hoarseness in his voice and the long hesitation before the last word of the verse was the only evidence so far. Robin felt Starfire's hands clutch at his arm and heard her let out a soft, shaky sigh.

_Circus life / Under the big top world  
We all need the clowns / To make us smile  
Through space and time / Always another show  
Wondering where I am / Lost without you_

The band continued to play, even though Swipe was very gradually losing his composure. He had placed the microphone back onto its stand and was starting to lean against it, singing the next lyric with his gaze turned towards the floor. He could imagine Jinx watching him from the base of the stage, an almost embarrassed smile on her face and tears gathering in her feline eyes. If only she were here to hear him...

_And being apart ain't easy on this love affair  
Two strangers learn to fall in love again  
I get the joy of rediscovering you  
Oh girl, you stand by me  
I'm for-ev-er yo-urs... Faithfully_

The music swelled to its finale, with Jeff belting out his final solo in the hope of giving the rogue his second wind. It appeared to work, as Swipe pulled the mic back out and walked back and forth across the stage to finish the song. By now, Starfire was openly sobbing into Robin's cape while the others did their best to not follow suit. The only exception was Raven, who remained stoic throughout the song due to her meditative training. Deep inside, however, she felt the same sorrow for Swipe as her friends did.

_Who-o-oa... Who-o-oa... Who-o-oaaa...  
__**Faithfully! I'm still yo-ours!  
**__**Forever yours! Ever yo-o-ours... Faithfully!**_

As the song came to its conclusion, Swipe sank to his knees and sang out with all of his heart in the belief that maybe Jinx would indeed hear him. The tears he had held back all this time started to steadily flow down his cheeks just after the music ended and the audience started a slow round of applause that soon turned thunderous after the impact had worn off. The Titans quickly joined in, with Cyborg and Beast Boy whistling loudly over the din.

When the lights came back up, Swipe slowly got to his feet and smiled, giving his fans a low bow. As he continued waving to everyone, he noticed the quintet of superheroes standing at the back of the club and saluted them with two fingers to his forehead. He then went to shake hands with the rest of the band and picked up his duffel bag, bowing once more to the still-cheering crowd before making his way to the side exit.

Everyone slowly filed out through the front doors after the show ended, talking about the performance and how some wished they had brought cameras. The Titans waited for a few minutes to greet Swipe and compliment him on the show, but he never arrived. Starfire and Beast Boy volunteered to search from the air to find him, but Robin decided against it.

"He probably just wants some time alone now," their leader advised. "Besides, if we find the Hive Academy before he does, we can always let him know."

"I've never seen him like that. She really does mean a lot to him, doesn't she?" Cyborg commented as they returned to the T-Car.

"Probably more than we'll ever know..." Raven replied solemnly while settling into the back seat next to Starfire, who only gazed out the window in a vain attempt to see Swipe at the last second.

"No," Beast Boy said quietly, turning to look out the same window. "I think I do know..."

On the next street over, Swipe tightened his grip on his duffel bag and started sprinting towards the west for the nearest location on his map. He heard the T-Car drive off in the opposite direction, causing him to ran faster as he shut his eyes tightly for a moment.

Luck was apparently with the rogue tonight, for he was greeted with the sight of a pair of wrought-iron gates with the same symbol that was on his map sculpted into them. Unless it was a decoy to throw off the Titans, the rogue felt confident that he had found the academy.

He reached out and pushed the gates open, muttering to himself, "I'm sorry, you guys... I'm really sorry that I gotta do this..."

* * *

_T! E! E! N! T-I-T! A-N-S! Teen Ti-tans, let's go!  
__T! E! E! N! T-I-T! A-N-S! Teen Ti-tans, let's go!  
__T! E! E! N! T-I-T! A-N-S! Teen Ti-tans, LET'S GO!_

* * *

_**End of Chapter 17**_

_And so ends "Swipe". Thank you for reading and reviewing, everyone. I am already beginning work on the sequel, which I think will be called "Swindle". This part will actually take place during "Deception", "Wavelength" and partially in "Titans East", as I mentioned in the early chapters of this story. So..._

_**In "Swindle"** - Swipe takes on a new identity in order to enroll into the Hive Academy and continue his desperate search for Jinx. He finds her among her old school buddies, Gizmo and Mammoth, but something is wrong: She doesn't remember him at all._


End file.
